THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


y 

SSuMEK  COLLECTION 


iiv 


X  J 


E  &  <DL 


w 


HOUSEHOLD  STORY 


AMERICAN    CONFLICT. 


<s>««  mxMtx  $aUUx& 


"Tlio  Union  mast  be  preserved." 

Abraham  Lincout. 


BY 

MARY   S.  ROBINSON-. 


'glen)  'gforii: 

N.v    TIBBALS, 

37  Pake:  How  and  145  Nassau  Street. 

18G6. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1EC6,  by 

jr.  TIBBALS, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States 
for  the  Southern  District  of  Is  ew  York. 


PEEFAOE. 


Some  account  of  the  American  war,  adapted  to  the 
children  gathered  in  our  churches,  and  largely  dependent 
on  our  Sunday-school  libraries  for  mental  recreation,  has 
been  thought  to  he  a  desideratum  by  those  interested  in 
their  needs.  Such  an  account,  conveyed  in  a  familiar, 
unpretending  manner,  has  been  attempted  in  this  volume, 
the  first  of  a  short  series.  It  is  meant  to  extend  through 
the  war,  giving  prominence,  not  merely  to  its  important 
events,  but  to  the  generous  and  soldierly  virtues  that 
characterized  the  times.  To  this  end,  and  not  alone 
for  childish  entertainment,  many  credible  incidents  have 
been  admitted  that  illustrate  our  conflict,  if  they  do  not 
directly  make  a  part  of  it. 

True  patriotism  is  so  nearly  allied  to  the  religious 
sentiment,  and  the  conduct  of  our  people  during  the  war 
was  so  largely  shaped  and  sustained  by  American  Chris- 
tianity, that  it  has  been  thought  unnecessary  to  give  to  the 
present  volume  a  directly  religious  character.  Such 
facts  as  these,  occurring  in  the  self-defence  of  a  Christian 
people,  would,  perhaps,  teach  more  forcibly  than  exhor- 

603208 


.4  PREFACE. 

tations  or  abstract  lessons  upon  Divine  Providence  and ' 
the  power  of  right. 

The  writer  acknowledges  ner  indebtedness  to  Gree- 
ley's "  American  Conflict,"  Putnam's  comprehensive 
"  Record  of  the  Rebellion,"  Holland's  "Life  of  Lincoln," 
Parton's  "Life  of  Butler,"  Rev.  P.  B.  Feme's  "Heroes 
of  the  War,"  to  the  sermons,  current  magazines,  and 
papers  of  the  time,  and  other  sources,  both  private  and 
public.  For  statistics,  reference  has  been  mainly  made 
to  official  reports. 

The  material  of  the  volume  being  truthful,  will,  it  is 
hoped,  prove  not  valueless  to  the  young  minds  who  may 
receive  it.  May  it  help  them  to  maintain  "the  good 
fight"  of  their  own  lives,  with  something  of  the  valiancy 
and  success  that  attended  this  crisis  in  their  national 
history ! 

Xovcmber,  1566. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER    I. 

COIXG   FORTH   FOR   THE    GOOD    CAUSE. 

The  Son's  Letter— Its  Effect  at  Home— Kings  and  Palaces— 
Daniel's  Purpose  — The  Decision— The  Departure  — The 
Ploughshare  and  the  Sword 9 


CHAPTER    II. 

WAR' AT    SUMTER BLOODSHED    AT    BALTIMORE. 

A  Word  about  Slavery— Proving  it  from  the  Bible— Major  An- 
derson at  Sumter— Our  Flag— Leaving  the  Fort—"  Billy 
Johnson,  that  Fought  'at'  Lundy's  Lane1'— A  Letter  from 
Washington — A  Secession  Mob — A  Standard-Bearer  wor- 
thy of  bis  Flag — Another  Salute  to  the  Stars  and  Stripes — 
Washington  Threatened— A  Yankee  Ballad 28 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  ARMY. 

The  Uprising  of  the  North— The  Merchant's  Son— The  Qua- 
ker's Clerk — The  Indiana  Man— The  Vermonter— Sewing  in 
Liberty  Hall— An  Old  Lady's  Contribution— New  Boots  for 
the  Soldier— Salem's  Watch-Cry— The  Blacksmith  and  his 
Boys— Adieu  to  the  Seventh— Loss  of  the  Navy  Yard— Sol- 
diers must  go  through  Maryland— Butler's  Passage  through 
the  State 44 


0'  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

WESTERN*    TRAITORS    OUTWITTED. 

News  from  Missouri— State  Rights— The  Arsenal  at  St.  Louis 
attacked— Captain  Stokes'  Exploits — Camp  Jackson  eur- 
renders  to  Lyon C3 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE    FIRST    NATIONAL    BEREAVEMENT    OF    THE    WAR. 

Colonel  Ellsworth— His  Character  as  a  Boy— His  Pursuits  when 
a  Youth — The  Young  Captain  and  Christian — Tour  of  the 
Company— Disappointment— Kaising  the  New  York  Regi- 
ment—The Last  Letter— The  Meeting  on  the  Stairs— The 
Mourning  of  the  People .73 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE    COAST.    THE    RELAY    HOUSE,  AND    FORTRESS   MONROE. 

The  Blockade— Southern  Ports— How  the  Money  is  Raised — 
Searching  Car  Passengers— Work  done  at  "  Freedom  Fort" 
— "  Swear  Him  In  "—Arrival  of  Contrabands— Butler's  Re- 
ply to  Col.  Mallory— The  Mistake  at  Big  Bethel— Another 
Young  Hero  is  Slain— Sergeant  Goodfellow— Lieutenant 
Greble— Faithful  unto  Death— Story  of  Adjutant  Stevens — 
Ministering  to  the  Wounded 84 


CHAPTER    TIL 


WESTERN    VIRGINIA. 


A  Dangerous  French  Lady— John  Brown— Rosecrans  in  Vir- 
ginia—Wheeling— The  Soldier  at  Vienna— Lander's  Ride- 
Col.  Dumont  decides  the  Victory  at  Carrick's  Ford— A  new 
kind  of  Bombshell lte 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


A    GREAT    DISASTER. 


The  News  from  Bull  Eun— Gloom  throughout  the  Land— The 
Ilampton  Legion  and  General  Jackson — The  Arrival  of 
Kirby  Smith — Patterson's  Error — Patriotic  Disobedience — 
The  "  Child  "  of  the  Sixth 113 


CHAPTER    IX. 

GLIMPSES    OF    THE    BATTLE-FIELD. 

General  Pierce— Specimens  from  the  Scrap-Book— Three  Sol- 
diers— New  Hampshire,  Ohio,  and  Michigan  Boys 130 


CHAPTER    X. 

wilson's  creek. 

The  Guerrillas— How  Cairo  was  Saved— Gen.  Lyon  at  Wilson's 
Creek — Another  Volunteer — The  Eebels  of  Memphis — A  Spy 
on  his  Errand— The  Effect  of  the  Letter 137 


CHAPTER    XL 

TRIVATEERS   AND    THEIR    CRIMES. 

The  Voice  of  the  Nation— The  Flag  below  the  Cross— Organiz- 
ing the  Army— The  Sumter— Captain  McGilvery's  Wife— 
The  Affair  at  Hatteras— More  about  Western  Virginia— The 
Misfortune  at  Ball's  Bluff— Col.  Baker— The  Twenty-first  of 
October— East  and  West— Roger's  Song 150 


3  CONTENTS. 

CHAFFER    XII. 

REFUGEES   AND    THEIR   BORE 

The  North  forced  to  Fight— The  fighting  Chaplain's  Prayer— 
The  Spirit  of  Slavery— A  Sorrowful  Story— Southern  Ruf- 
fians— A  Trial  of  Guessing 167 


CHAPTER   xni. 

A   DEFENCE   AND    AX   ASSAULT. 

Mail  Days  in  Camp — Affairs  in  Fremont's  Department — The 
Danger  at  Lexington — The  Struggle  for  the  Hospital— The 
Surrender— Advancing  to  Springfield— A  Famous  Charge — 
The  valiant  Dueler — Fremont  recalled 178 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

HOLIDAYS. 

Going  to  Church— The  First  Sleigh-Ride  of  the  Season— The 
Rough  Regiment  at  Santa  Rosa— Daniel's  Furlough — His 
Experiences— Port  Royal— A  Procession  of  Ships— The 
Spoils  Taken — Deaafort— The  Boatman's  Song — The  Second 
Adieu 1S3 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 


Chapter  I. 

GOING     FORTH     FOR     THE     GOOD     CAUSE. 

"Hebe's  a  letter  from  Daniel,  wife!" 
said  Mr.  Warren,  coming  in  from  the  post- 
office. 

"From  Daniel!"  said  Mrs.  Warren, 
"  Why,  he  writes  early  this  week.  What's 
the  matter  ? " 

"Oh,  nothing,  I  take  it.  Let's  hear 
what  he  has  to  say.'7 

So  Mrs.  Warren  read  aloud  : 

Athurst,  April  — ,  1861. 
My  Beloved  Parents  : 

Ever  since  I  sent  you  last  week's  letter,  I  have  been  able 
to  think  of  little  else  than  our  country's  peril ;  for  every 
one  here  is  talking  about  it,  and  I  find  it  almost  impossi- 
ble to  apply  myself  to  my  books.    You  have  doubtless 
9 


•     - 


10  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

seen  the  notice  in  the  newspapers  that  the  President  is 
about  to  issue  to  the  nation  a  call  for  troops.  It 
is  thought  that  the  militia  of  our  State  will  be  needed 
in  a  few  days,  and  there  are  men  in  this  town  who  are 
getting  ready  to  leave,  soon  as  the  word  comes.  Xow, 
what  I  want  to  know,  dear  parents,  is  whether  you 
will  consent  to  let  me  go  with  the  company  here.  I 
was  on  the  point  of  asking  you  in  my  last,  but  con- 
cluded I  had  better  first  think  the  matter  over  fully  to 
myself.  I  regret,  as  you  must,  the  delay  this  step 
will  make  in  my  college  course,  for  I  shall  have  to  give 
up  all  hope  of  entering  as  senior  next  autumn.  But  I 
am  willing  to  defer  my  plans,  and  even  to  give  tlicm 
up,  if  necessary.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  my  mind 
is  clear  on  this  point.  I  ought  to  serve  my  coun- 
try in  her  need.  Think,  dear  parents,  what  a 
crisis  the  present  emergency  may  be  in  our  history. 
Perhaps  it  will  not  last  long  ;  perhaps  in  a  few  months 
I  can  come  back  to  books  and  home.  I  earnestly  hope 
you  will  send  me  your  consent ;  if  I  could  get  it  by  re- 
turn of  mail,  I  should  be  free  to  leave  at  a  moment's 
warning.  But  if  there  is  time,  you  will  see  me  home 
first,  if  only  for  a  flying  visit.  I  believe,  if  you  think 
this  matter  over  thoroughly,  you  will  be  of  my  opinion, 
and  say  "  Go."  And  be  sure,  please,  to  send  word  back 
soon;  if  the  right  word,  right  away.  My  love  to 
Maedy  and  the  boys,  with  heaps  left  for  Aunt  Ellen 
and  yourselves. 

As  ever,  your  affectionate  son, 

Daniel  Warren. 


RSf 


• 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  11 

The  mother's  voice  had  trembled  more 
and  more  in  reading  this  letter,  and  now 
her  face  looked  deeply  troubled.  Both  she 
and  Aunt  Ellen  kept  silence,  but  Mr.  War- 
ren left  his  seat  and  walked  the  floor.  After 
a  moment  he  said,  "  He  wants  to  turn  sol- 
dier !  Well !  Well !  It's  come  sudden  as 
a  thunder-clap.  We  can't  spare  him, 
though — can't  think  of  it  for  a  moment, 
lie  mustn't  go." 

'*  And  }Tet,  if  Daniel's  mind  is  once  made 
up,  he's  not  easily  moved,"  said  Aunt 
Ellen.  "I've  wondered  sometimes  if  all 
the  excitement  we've  had  lately  wouldn't 
have  its  influence  on  him,  and  lead  him  to 
this  very  step." 

"  But  we  can't  let  him  take  it,"  repeated 
the  father,  decidedly.  "  I'll  dissuade  him. 
I'll  write  this  very  night, — the  letter  will 
go  in  the  morning's  mail.  It's  not  best  to 
wait,  is  it  wife?" 

"  I  can't  say ;  let  us  think  about  it 
awhile.  To  give  him  up  so  suddenly  would 
be  terrible,  yet — ."  The  mother  paused, 
hardly  knowing  what  else  to  say. 


12  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

So  the  parents  considered  the  matter  in 
their  own  hearts,  and  consulted  together 
till  late  into  the  night.  The  result  was, 
Mr.  Warren  wrote  back  to  Daniel  that, 
if  u  still  of  the  opinion  he  ought  to  go,  his 
parents  could  not  say  No  f  but  they  urged 
him  to  come  home,  that  they  might  look 
upon  his  face  once  more,  and  proposed  that 
he  should  leave  with  the  Fairbrook  com- 
pany, instead  of  going  back  to  Athurst. 
This  sacrifice  of  their  son  was  not  the  less 
deeply  felt  because  so  readily  made.  All 
the  next  day,  as  Mrs.  Warren  moved  about 
her  household  duties,  her  heart  was  with 
her  boy.  When  she  made  ready  his  little 
room  she  could  think  only  of  the  bright 
face  that  had  so  often  turned  to  hers 
as  Daniel  bent  over  his  books.  Would  he 
really  go  ?  she  wondered.  Would  he  not 
think  differently  when  he  came  to  be  at 
home  with  them  all"?  When  she  spread 
the  coverlid  of  his  bed,  she  thought  how 
soou  his  form  might  be  lying  stark  and  stiff, 
ready  for  a  soldier's  grave.  Many  tears 
fell  from  the  mother's  eyes  as  these  pic- 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  13 

tures  of  the  past  and  of  the  possible  future 
passed  before  her ;  but  she  kept  a  serene 
face,  for  Daniel  must  not  see  her  falter. 
Nor  did  he  when,  after  two  days,  he  was 
welcomed  back  to  the  home  fireside.  The 
children,  Franklin,  Roger  and  Maedy,  were 
at  first  greatly  troubled  at  the  thought  of 
losing  their  brother.  Nobody,  in  their 
eyes,  was  so  wise  as  Daniel, — at  least  none 
but  their  father  and  mother.  They  clung 
around  him  fondly,  now  caressing  and  now 
complaining,  child-fashion. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  go  and  leave  us 
for,  Daniel?"  said  little  Maedy.  When 
a  little  girl  she  had  given  herself  that  name, 
instead  of  her  true  one  Mary ;  so"  Maedy  " 
she  had  been  called  ever  since. 

"Ah,"  said  Daniel,  "I  can't  tell  you  all 
the '  whys,'  little  one.  You  wouldn't  under- 
stand them  all  now,  but  you  will  by  and 
by.  Wouldn't  you  like  me  to  write  you 
a  letter  sometime,  Maedy,  when  I  go  to 
Washington,  and  see  the  President?  " 

"  Oh,  wouldn't  I  like  to  see  Washing- 
ton!" exclaimed  Franklin. 


14  THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

"  What  for  ?  "  asked  Maedy. 

"  Why,  because  it's  the  capital  of  the 
country,"  said  Franklin.  "  The  President 
lives  there,  and  it's  full  of  great  houses,  and 
senators,  and  soldiers — isn't  it,  Daniel? 
You'll  write  us  a  letter  when  you  get  there, 
won't  you  ?" 

"Brother  Daniel,  when  you  write  home 
I  wish  you'd  leave  out  all  the  big  words," 
exclaimed  Roger,  who  was  a  couple  of 
years  younger  than  Franklin.  "  Write 
easy,  so  that  we  children  can  understand, 
will  you  ?  There's  Frank,  he  can  make 
out  the  longest  kind  of  a  lingo ;  but  I'm 
one  of  the  numskull  kind.  I  shall  want 
to  hear  about  your  battles  and  all  that. 
Write  for  us  all,\vill  you?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "  I'll  try  to,  though 
it  isn't  as  easy  a  thing  as  you  may  think, 
for  big  people  to  talk  like  little  ones." 

"Brother,"  said  Franklin,  "I  thought 
countries  like  ours  didn't  have  wars.  Our 
history  tells  about  ever  so  many  kings  that 
used  to  fight  with  each  other  all  the  time. 
But  we  haven't  kings,  and  yet  now  every 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  15 

one  says  we're  going  to  have  a  war.  I 
don't  see  that  we're  any  better  off  than 
other  people." 

"Don't    you?"    said    Daniel.      "How 
would  you  like  it  if,  when  you  grew  to  be 
a  young  man,  you  had  to  leave  your  studies 
or    your    business — whatever    you     were 
doing — to    be    a    soldier;    if   the   king's 
officers  wouldn't  let   you  off,  except  you 
could  pay  them  hundreds  of  dollars,  and 
sometimes  not  then ;  if  the  king's  police- 
men   could   enter    your    house   whenever 
he  chose  and  search  it  through  from  gar- 
ret to  cellar,  even  to  reading   your  letters  ; 
if,  when  you  happened  to    write    or  say 
anything  not  pleasing  to  the  king,  or  to 
go  with  people  that  he  disliked,  you  were 
thrown    into    a    dungeon,    or,    may    be, 
sent  away  from  home  forever,  thankful  then 
that   your  head    wasn't    cut  off;    if  you 
couldn't  make  a  visit  to  New  York  unless 
you   paid    for  a    passport    and    carried  it 
along,  describing  you  as  a  man  the  New 
York  king  need  have  no  fear  of;  if  you 
had  to  pay  a  certain  sum  to  the  govern- 


16  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

ment  for  every  window  in  your  house, 
every  horse  and  carriage  in  your  barn, 
and  if  you  had  to  submit  to  all  this, 
not  only  when  the  king  was  at  war,  but 
all  the  time  ;  and  if  this  strict  way  of  deal- 
ing with  you  was  not  so  much  that  the 
people  might  be  safe  and  happy — for  that 
they  are  not — but  that  the  king  should  be 
free  from  alarm,  and  might  have  all  the  gold 
and  jewels  he  wanted,  beside  more  serv- 
ants, and  horses,  and  parks,  and  palaces 
than  I  could  number  in  a  day  ?  " 

"  Palaces  !  "  said  Roger,  looking  up  from 
the  arrow  he  had  begun  to  whittle  during 
Daniel's  talk.  "Why,  I  always  thought 
it  would  be  fun  to  live  where  they  had 
parks  and  palaces.  They  shoot  deer  in 
them,  don't  they  1 " 

"  Shoot  deer  in  palaces,"  laughed 
Maedy. 

"  Well,  in  the  parks,  then,"  answered 
Roger,  joining  in  the  laugh. 

"  Yes,  they  do  ;  but  they  wouldn't  let 
you,"  answered  Daniel,  "  nor  any  one  but 
the  king  and  his   court.     I  rather  think, 


THE    BROTHElt    SOLDIERS.  17 

boys,  by  the  time  you're  men  you'll  find 
yourselves  better  oft1  in  America  than  in  any 
king-land.  You  children  hear  a  great  deal 
said  about  our  "free  country,"  the  "lib- 
erty "  we  enjoy,  and  so  on.  But  you  don't 
know  what  these  words  mean,  nor  what 
our  freedom  is,  j  ust  because  you  haven't  yet 
learned  how  other  nations  live.  Why,  one 
of  our  college  fellows,  who  has  been  abroad, 
was  telling  me  about  a  man  that  he  and 
his  father  saw  in  Austria.  They  stopped  at 
a  little  out-of-the-way  place  among  the 
mountains,  where  there  was  a  prison. 
This  man  was  one  of  the  prisoners,  but 
just  then  he  was  at  his  daily  work,  sweep- 
ing the  streets,  with  a  ball  and  chain  round 
his  foot,  and  an  armed  soldier  dogging 
his  heels.  He  was  a  nobleman  of  the  land, 
too,  but  had  tried  to  gain  a  little  more  lib- 
erty for  his  countrymen, — was  what  they 
call  a  'political  offender,' — and  the  Em- 
peror sent  him  up  there  for  life." 

"  Are  emperors  bad  as  kings  ? "  asked 
Maedy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel.  "  Generally  they  are 


18  THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

worse,  for  they  have  more  power  ;  it  isn't 
good  for  a  man  to  have  much  power  over 
others,  unless  he  has  a  great  spirit  that  will 
use  it  rightly.  There  are  not  many  good 
kings  nor  emperors  ;  there  never  were." 

"  Why  not?"  said  Roger.  "I  should 
think  the  people  would  choose  only  good 
men  for  kings. 

"  Why,  Roger !  "  said  Frank,  "  Don't  you 
know  they  don't  ever  choose  him?  He's 
born  to  the  kingdom.  When  the  king  dies, 
they  take  the  oldest  son  and  crown  him. 
They  never  choose  one,  do  they,  Daniel  ?  " 
"  No,  not  now,"  said  his  brother ; 
"  that  is  the  way  a  king  is  made,  no 
matter  whether  he  is  kind  or  cruel,  wise 
or  foolish ;  he  may  be  the  most  wicked 
man  in  the  nation,  yet  if  he  is  the  oldest 
son  of  the  royal  family,  he's  crowned  king 
over  the  people." 

"  Whew  !  "  exclaimed  Roger,  "  that's 
tough.  We  never  shall  have  any  of  those 
fellows  here,  shall  we?  " 

c"No,  sir,"  said  Daniel,  with  an  amused 
look.      "I   don't  think   we   shall.      Our 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  19 

Union  is  rather  different  from  the  Old 
World  monarchies,  as  you  will  find  out,  the 
older  you  grow;  and  one  reason  why  I 
want  to  go  to  the  war,  little  Maedy,  is  be- 
cause the  miserable  rebels  are  trying  to 
ruin  our  Government.  They  are  like  rob- 
bers who  should  come  and  carry  away  our 
furniture,  and  tear  us  away  from  each 
other.  No,  the  rebels  are  worse  ;  for  their 
crime  would  harm  not  one,  but  many  fami- 
lies for  scores,  perhaps  hundreds,  of  years 
to  come." 

"Will  they  hurt  us?"  said  Maedy,  in 
some  alarm.  "  Do  you  think  they  will 
come  here,  brother  ?  " 

"No,  little  one,"  said  Daniel,  more 
gently,  "  I  don't  believe  God  will  let  them. 
But  you  know  if  we  want  God  to  prevent 
anything  we  must  prevent  it  ourselves  all 
we  can.  So  I'm  going  now  to  do  what  I 
can ;  but  I  guess  we  won't  have  a  long  war, 
Maedy,"  he  added,  kissing  the  sober  little 
face  before  him.  "  I  may  be  back  again  be- 
fore your  next  birthday;  come,  show  me 
the  new  skipping-rope  I  saw  you  trying  ;" 


20  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

and  in  a  few  minutes  Maedy  had  forgotten 
the  dangerous  rebels  in  her  attempts  to 
show  Daniel  how  she  could  already  jump 
"  up  to  twenty  without  missing." 

Daniel  was  so  earnest  in  his  purpose 
that  the  children  caught  something  of 
his  spirit,  and  ceased  to  grieve  over  his 
determination.  But  the  father  and  mother 
could  not  give  him  up  so  easily.  They 
hardly  dared  say  he  must  stay,  for  they 
were  not  sure  that  it  would  be  right ; 
yet  if  by  any  means  they  could  have 
kept  him  at  home,  how  glad  they  would 
have  been !  They  wanted  to  give  him  up 
willingly  ;  they  certainly  did  not  wish  their 
son  to  excel  them  in  devotion  to  their  coun- 
try ;  but  they  were  reluctant,  out  of  love 
to  him. 

"  I  believe  it  would  break  our  hearts, 
Daniel,  if  anything  should  happen  to  you," 
said  his  father,  in  a  husky  voice,  as  they 
talked  together  that  evening  after  the  little 
ones  had  gone  to  rest.  The  young  man 
said  nothing ;  he  felt  his  mother's  eyes 
were  upon  him,  with  such  sorrow  in  them 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  21 

that  he  dared  not  trust  himself  to  speak. 
"I  think,  father,"  he  said,  after  a  moment, 
"  that  the  same  One  who  gives  me  strength 
now  to  go  and  defend  a  good  cause,  and 
gives  you  and  mother  strength  for  the 
separation,  will  be  'sufficient'  for  us  both 
in  any  evil  that  may  overtake  us — any  evil 
whatever.  Besides,"  he  added,  looking  up 
cheerfully,  "I  shall  feel  safer  fighting,  if 
that's  what  we're  to  do,  than  I  should  here 
at  home.  If  I  were  to  stay,  and  then 
should  get  sick  or  hurt,  I  believe  I  should 
die  of  regret." 

"But,  Daniel,"  said  his  mother,  "  you've 
always  been  used  to  good  food  and  clothes ; 
you're  very  particular,  you  know,  about 
some  things.  What  will  you  do  when  you 
have  no  spotless  wristbands,  nor  collars ; 
when  you  must  eat  salt  pork  and  hard 
bread,  or  go  without ;  and  you're  not  used 
to  hard  work,  my  son  ;  you'll  find  this  new 
life  all  the  harder  because  you've  been  so 
long  in  the  habit  of  sitting  still  over  your 
books." 

"  Now,  mother,"  said  Daniel,  in  an  in- 


22  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

jured  tone,  though  with  a  gleam  of  misv 
chief  in  his  eye,  "  I  didn't  think  you'd  talk 
against  me,  whatever  others  might  say. 
A  poor,  feeble,  dandified  fellow  like  me, 
then,  had  better  get  out  of  the  way  ;  little 
use  he'd  be  at  home.  So  you  don't  think 
I'm  capable  of  doing  without  my  ordinary 
comforts,  though  thousands  of  other  men 
can  give  up  theirs  ?  That's  what  you 
mean,  is  it,  mother  ?  " 

"Oh,  Daniel,"  said  his  mother,  with  a 
loving  smile,  "  you  know  I  don't  mean  any 
such  thing." 

"  Why,  just  look  at  me,"  said  the  young 
man  rising,  his  face  asrlow  with  an  earnest 
purpose.  "I'm  young  and  strong,  just 
the  one  that  ought  to  go  ;  one  who  could 
give  the  least  excuse  for  not  going. 
Whenever  the  fellows  in  college  went  off 
on  an  excursion — we  made  many  a  one 
last  summer,  looking  up  specimens  in 
Geology  and  Natural  History,  I  could  walk 
as  far  as  any  one,  and  climb  as  high.  I've 
heard  larger  fellows  than  myself  complain 
of  weariness  before  I'd  thought  of  it.     No, 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  23 

no,  I  have  no  reason  for  staying  quietly  at 
home,  while  multitudes  of  other  young 
men  give  themselves  to  the  work  of  putting 
down  the  rebellion. 

"If  one  of  us  were  sick,  father,"  he 
added,  "you  wouldn't  spare  money  nor 
strength  for  us  ;  you'd  give  your  last  dollar 
to  save  us.  Now,  in  view  of  this  danger 
threatening  us  all,  relatives,  friends  and 
country,  won't  you  give  me  up  just  for  a 
time  ?  Isn't  it  merely  doing  the  little  we 
can  for  ourselves,  as  well  as  for  the  coun- 
try that  you've  taught  us  to  honor,  and 
the  Union  that  we  believe  is  the  best  gov- 
ernment on  the  earth  ?  I  confess  I  feel  as 
the  President  did,  when  he  said,  '  I  shall 
consider  myself  one  of  the  happiest  men 
in  the  world,  if  I  can  help  save  it.'  Why, 
our  great-grandfather  fought  for  it,  as  you 
used  to  tell  us,  at  Lexington  and  Bunker 
Hill.  I  was  looking  to-day  at  the  battered 
old  musket  up  stairs.  We  mustn't  let  the 
family  degenerate,  father.  I  want  to  be 
worthy  of  him." 

Mrs.  tVarren  turned  a  face  beaming  with 


24  THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

pride  and  love  toward  her  son,  though 
something  more  than  pride  glistened  in  her 
eyes.  "  We  will  not  keep  you,  Daniel," 
she  said,  "  If  you  go,  my  blessing  shall  fol- 
low you.  I  cannot  bid  you  stay  against 
your  will." 

"  Your  mother  is  right,"  said  Mr.  War- 
ren, after  a  moment's  silence. 

So  it  was  settled  that  Daniel  should  go. 

The  next  morning  the  President's  call 
for  seventy-five  thousand  men,  and  the 
Governor's  requisition  for  the  State  were 
read  to  the  crowd  gathered  in  front  of 
the  church  on  the  village  green.  And 
then  Daniel  came  home  with  his  father 
to  bid  good-by.  A  few  hours  were  spent 
in  hasty  preparations ;  a  little  Bible, 
marked  with  a  line  from  his  mother's 
hand  and  moistened  with  her  tears,  was 
slipped  into  his  breast-pocket ;  a  hurried, 
choking  meal,  at  which  everybody  tried  to 
be  cheerful.;  a  solemn  moment  afterward, 
when  the  father  commended  his  son  to  the 
keeping  of  that  other  Father  whose  love  is 
all-powerful, — and  Daniel  was  gone  !   They 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  25 

could  still  discern  him  in  the  Fairbrook 
company,  as  it  marched  across  the  green ; 
now  it  was  turning  the  corner — now  he 
was  gone  indeed  ! 

Little  Maedy  cried  bitterly,  and  even 
Frank  and  Roger  could  not  keep  back 
their  tears.  But  after  a  little,  Aunt  Ellen 
wiped  her  eyes  and  said,  "  Come,  chil- 
dren, we  must  be  brave  like  our  Daniel; 
he'd  be  sorry  to  see  us  grieving  overmuch. 
Here,  Maedy,  I've  found  a  sheet  for  your 
doll-bedstead,  don't  you  want  to  hen^t  ? 
And  Roger,  suppose  you  put  the  finding 
polish  on  your  bow  and  arrow." 

"  Where's  my  scrap-book  ?  Aunt  Ellen, 
will  you  make  me  some  mucilage  ?  "  said 
Franklin,  "  I  have  some  more  clippings 
for  it." 

"  Yes  indeed ;  and  I  have  some,  too,  saved   -^ 
away  for  you — extracts  and  pictures." 

"  Here's  a  good  one,"  he  exclaimed,  as 
he  looked  over  the  collection.  "  I  believe 
I'll  have  a  '  War  Department '  in  my  book, 
and  put  this  in.  Here's  '  Warren;'  it  can't 
be  about  Daniel." 


26  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Aunt  Ellen,  smiling, 
"  That  must  be  General  Warren,  a  brave 
old  Massachusetts  soldier,  whose  battle-cry 
used  to  be,  'Tis  sweet  for  our  country  to 
die.'  He  did  die  for  it  at  last.  Perhaps 
we're  related  to  him,  though  I  never  heard 
that  we  were." 

u  What's  this  ?  "  said  Franklin,  looking 
over  the  papers.  "  '  The  Two  Furrows.' 
It  looks  like  a  story.  You  read  it,  please, 
Aunt  Ellen." 


alo 


JfcSVell,  if  you  wish,"  she  said,  and  read 
Dud : 


The  spring-time  came,  but  not  with  mirth, 

The  banner  of  our  trust, 
And  "with  it,  the  best  hopes  of  earth 

Were  trailing  in  the  dust. 

The  farmer  saw  the  shame  from  far, 

An,d  pausing  in  the  field  ; 
Not  the  blade  of  peace,  but  the  brand  of  war, 

This  arm  of  mine  must  yield. 

With  ready  strength  the  farmer  tore 

The  iron  from  the  wood, 
And  to  the  village  smith  he  bore 

The  ploughshare  stout  and  good. 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  27 

The  blacksmith's  arms  were  bare  and  brown 

And  loud  the  bellows  roared ; 
The  farmer  flung  his  ploughshare  down, 

"Now,  forge  me  out  a  sword !" 

And  then  a  merry ,  merry  chime 

The  sounding  anvil  rung  ; 
Good  sooth !  it  was  a  nobler  rhyme 

Than  ever  poet  sung. 

Tho  blacksmith  wrought  with  skill  that  day; 

The  blade  was  keen  and  bright, 
And  now  where  thickest  is  the  fray, 

The  farmer  leads  the  fight. 

Not  as  of  old  the  blade  he  sways, 

To  break  the  meadow's  sleep, 
But  through  the  rebel  ranks  he  lays 

A  furrow  broad  and  deep. 

The  farmer's  face  is  burned  and  brown, 

But  light  is  on  his  brow  ; 
Eight  well  he  knows  what  blessings  crown 

The  furrow  of  the  plow. 

But  better  is  to-day's  success," 

Thus  ran  the  farmer's  word ; 
For  nations  yet  unborn  shall  bless 

This  furrow  of  the  sword !"    ' 


Chapter  II. 


WAR    AT    SUMTER,    BLOODSHED    AT    BALTIMORE. 

Ix  the  evening  Maedy  sat  on  her  father's 
knee,  talking  of  her  absent  brother.  <l  Oh, 
dear!  "  she  sighed,  "If  Daniel  could  only 
have  staid  with  us !  Why  can't  they  get 
along  without  a  war,  papa?" 

"  We  can,  my  darling,  but  the  rebels 
will  not;  they  are  determined  to  fight. 
They  struck  the  first  blow  at  Sumter,  you 
know." 

"  But  what  did  they  for  ?"  persisted 
Maedy.  "  I've  heard  something  about  Fort 
Sumter,  but  I  don't  see  why  they  wanted 
to  fight.  Won't  you  tell  me  all  about  it, 
papa  V" 

"  That  would  be  considerable  for  a  small 
head  to  hold  ;"  said  the  father,  stroking 
her  hair,  and  thinking  a  moment.  "Well, 
these  Southern  men,  that  you  hear  so  much 
said  of  now-a-days,  are  slaveholders,  you 
28 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  29 

know ;  they  think  it  is  right  to  own  col- 
ored people,  to  make  them  work,  to  sell 
their  wives  and  little  children  away  to 
strangers,  and  to  do  many  other  things 
that  are  very  wicked  and  very  cruel." 

"  How  do  the  poor  slaves  get  food  or 
clothes,  if  they  have  to  work  so  for  their 
masters  all  the  time  ? "  asked  Maedy. 

"  Oh,  the  slave-owners  take  care  of 
them,  but  sometimes  poorly  enough.  I 
was  reading  lately  of  a  rjlace  in  the  South 
where  negroes  were  thought  to  be  well 
treated,  and  what  do  you  think  was  each 
one's  regular  food  for  a  week  ?  A  peck  of 
corn  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  meat 
— not  so  much  meat  for  a  working  man  as 
you  have  every  day,  Maedy.  Well,  it  hap- 
pened after  awhile,  that  many  people  saw 
how  wrong  slavery  was,  and  the  South- 
erners began  to  fear  that  they  could  not 
keep  their  negroes." 

"  What  made  those  men  like  slavery?" 
interrupted  Maedy. 

"  Oh,  many  years  ago,  when  our  coun- 
try was  ruled  by  an  English  king,  and  men 


30  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

didn't  know  right  from  wrong  so  well  as 
they  do  now,  our  people  held  slaves. 
Other  countries  had  them  too.  The 
masters  soon  found  how  useful  the  poor 
black  creatures  were  to  work,  espe- 
cially in  the  great  cotton  fields  of  the 
South.  So  when  we  Northern  people  set 
our  slaves  free,  the  men  down  there  said, 
'  They  won't  work  if  we  give  them  liberty, 
and  we  can't  do  without  them.'  '  Yes,  but 
it  is  wrong  for  one  man  to  own  another,' 
said  we.  Then  they  tried  to  persuade 
themselves  it  wasn't.  At  last  they  really 
declared  it  was  right ;  their  ministers 
preached  on  the  righteousness  of  slavery, 
and  tried  to  prove  it  from  the  Bible. 
Now,  you  know,  Maedy,  when  you 
run  down  hill,  you  go  faster  and  faster ; 
and  so  it  is  with  people  who  do  wrong ; 
unless  they  stop  suddenly,  they  do  it  more 
and  more — always  faster.  In  the  South 
they  ill-treated  men  who  opposed  slavery. 
Some  were  put  in  prison,  others  were 
tormented  and  killed.  The  masters 
became   more   cruel  to  their   slaves,    and 


THE   BROTTIER    SOLDIERS.  31 

more  quarrelsome  with  us,  till  at  last  a 
number  of  them  came  together  and  said, 
1  Let  us  live  by  ourselves ;  we'll  make  a 
nation  of  our  own  ;  then  we  can  keep  our 
slaves  without  trouble,  and  do  what  we 
like  with  them.  To  be  sure,  we  must 
break  oar  oath  to  defend  the  United  States 
Government.  We  must  rob  it  of  land, 
money,  forts,  guns,  everything  we  can  for 
our  new  nation  ;  but  never  mind,  we'll  try 
it'  So  they  began.  They  had  muskets 
sent  South,  and  United  States  soldiers  sent 
North.  Those  of  the  slavery  men  who 
were  Senators  at  Washington  deserted 
their  places  ;  some  of  them,  such  as  Jeffer- 
son Davis,  President  of  the  so-called  Con- 
federacy, now  hold  office  in  their  pretended 
Government.  These  men  worked  with  all 
their  might  to  force  the  Southern  States 
out  of  the  Union.  But  you  may  be  sure 
the  patriotic  people  in  the  North  were  not 
asleep  all  this  time.  They  watched  and 
made  ready,  though  hoping  always  that 
there  would  be  no  fighting.  '  We  will  not 
go  to  war  with  men  of  our  own  nation. 


32  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

unless  they  drive  us  to  it,'  said  they. 
Nqw,  in  South  Carolina,  where  the  rebels 
are  most  noisy,  there  were  a  few  Government 
soldiers,  taking  care  of  the  forts  that  guard 
Charleston  harbor  ;  but  when  they  learned 
what  the  rebels  were  doing,  their  com- 
mander, Major  Anderson,  brought  them  into 
one  place,  that  in  case  of  danger  they 
misfit  make  the  stronger  defense.  He 
chose  for  this  purpose  Fort  Sumter,  named 
from  a  hero  who  fought  in  the  Revolution, 
which  you'll  study  about  some  day, 
Maedy.  After  the  little  band  of  soldiers 
were  safely  lodged  in  old  Sumter,  they 
gathered  with  uncovered  heads  around 
their  commander  to  see  the  flag  raised. 
But  before  it  was  hoisted,  the  chaplain 
pra)*ed  God  to  defend  it,  and  to  help  them 
in  their  extremity.  You  can  think  what 
an  earnest  prayer  that  was.  '  Amen,'  re- 
sponded every  man  at  the  close,  and  then 
the  Major,  holding  the  cords,  let  loose  the 
white  stars.  That  flag  was  never  given  up 
to  the  rebels. 

"  But  it  made  a  tremendous  fluttering 


TIIE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  33 

among  them.  They  called  upon  Major 
Anderson  to  '  evacuate 7  the  fort ;  that  is, 
go  off  and  leave  it.  Being  a  steadfast  man, 
he  wouldn't  go,  though  what  would  be- 
come of  his  eighty  men  he  did  not  know, 
for  the  rebels  had  driven  away  a  steamer 
laden  with  provisions  for  the  garri- 
son. Right  before  their  eyes  it  had  to 
turn  homewards  with  its  cargo.  *  If  the 
Major  refuses  to  go,  he  must  be  driven 
out,'  said  the  Secessionists ;  they  could  not 
bear  any  longer  to  see  that  '  dirty  rag,'  as 
they  called  the  American  banner,  floating 
over  Charleston  waters.  Accordingly  they 
mustered  a  host  of  men — -twelve  thousand 
all  told — more  than  could  be  crowded  into 
our  meeting-house,  if  you  filled  it  twelve 
times  over ;  they  planted  their  cannon  and 
mortars  at  the  fort,  and  fired  till  our  men 
had  to  cover  their  mouths  with  wet 
blankets  to  keep  out  fire  and  smoke. 
So  they  battled  for  two  days  and  a 
uight ;  when  the  flag  was  shot  away, 
another  was  instantly  nailed  to  the  staff. 
But   at   last,  being   so   few,   the   powder 


34  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

nearly  spent,  and  the  Fort  on  fire,  they 
could  avail  nothing  by  remaining,  so  they 
1  saluted  the  flag,'  that  is,  fired  guns  in  its 
honor,  and  marched  out  of  the  battered 
walls'  with  beating  drums  and  flying  col- 
ors. A  Federal  steamer  was  in  the  har- 
bor, and  they  took  passage  to  New-York. 
Now,  my  little  girl,  you  see  why  Daniel 
has  gone  to  the  war.  The  rebels  began  it 
at  Sumter;  he  and  thousands  of  others  want 
to  help  in  bringing  it  to  an  end.  I  read 
the  other  day  about  an  old  man — did  I  tell 
you  about  him,  the  old  hero  that  wanted  to 
enlist  V" 

"  No,  papa,  what  did  he  do?" 
"  I'll  find  the  story  for  you,"  said  the 
father,   looking   over   the    magazines   that 
lay  at  hand  on  the  table.     "  Here  it  is: 

SCOTT  AND  THE  VETERAN. 

BY   BAYARD   TAYLOR. 

An  old  and  crippled  veteran  to  the  War  Department  came: 

He  sought  the  chief  who  led  him  on  many  a  field  of 
fame, — 

The  chief  -who  shouted,  u  Foward !  "  where'er  his  ban- 
ner rose, 

And  bore  its  stars  in  triumph  behind  the  flying  foes. 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  35 

"Have  you  forgotten,  general,"  thebatter'd  soldier  cried, 
"  The  days  of  eighteen  hundred  twelve,  when  I  was  at 

your  side? 
Have  you  forgotten  Johnson,  that  fought  at  Lundy's 

Lane? 
'Tis  true  I'm  old  and  pension'd;  but  I  want  to  fight 

again." 

"Have  I  forgotten,"  said  the  chief,  my  brave  old  sol- 
dier ?     No ! 

And  here's  the  hand  I  gave  you  then,  and  let  it  tell  you 
so; 

But  you  have  done  your  share,  my  friend ;  you're 
crippled,  old,  and  gray, 

And  we  have  need  of  younger  arms  and  fresher  blood 
to-day." 

"But,  general,"  cried  the  veteran,  a  flush  upon  his 

brow, 
"  The  very  men  who  fought  with  us,  they  say,  are 

traitors  now. 
They've  torn  the  flag  of  Lundy's  Lane,  our  old  Red, 

"White,  and  Blue ; 
And,  while  a  drop  of  blood  is  left,  I'll  show  that  drop 

is  true. 

"  I'm  not  so  weak  but  I  can  strike,  and  I've  a  good  old 
gun, 

To  get  the  range  of  traitors'  hearts  and  pick  them  one 
by  one. 

Your  minie  rifles  and  such  arms  it  a'n't  worth  while  to 
try; 

I  couldn't  get  the  hang  of  them ;  but  I'll  keep  my  pow- 
der dry! " 


36  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIER*. 

•'God  bless  you,  comrade!"  said  the   chief;    "God 

bless  your  loyal  heart ! 
But  younger  men  are  in  the  field,  and  claim  to  have 

their  part : 
They'll  plant  our  sacred  banner  in  each  rebellious  town, 
And  woe  henceforth  to  any  hand  that  dares  to  pull  it 

down!  " 

"  But,  general,"  still  persisting,  the  weeping  veteran 

cried, 
"  I'm  young  enough  to  follow,  so  long  as  you're  my 

guide ; 
And  some,  you  know,  must  bite  the  dust,  and  that  at 

least  can  I : 
So  give  the  young  ones  a  place  to  fight,  but  me  a  place 

to  die  ! 

"  If  they  should  fire  on  Pickens,  let  the  colonel  in  com- 
mand, 

Put  me  upon  the  rampart,  with  the  flag-staff  in  my 
hand : 

No  odds  how  hot  the  cannon  smoke,  or  how  the  shells 
may  fly, 

I'll  hold  the  Stars  and  Stripes  aloft,  and  hold  them  till 
I  die ! 

"  I'm  ready,  general,  so  you  let  a  post  to  me  be  given, 

Where  Washington  can  see  me,  as  he  looks  from  high- 
est heaven, 

And  says  to  Putnam  at  his  side,  or  may  be  General 
Wayne, 

'  There  stands  old  Billy  Johnson,  that  fought  at  Lundy's 
Lane! 


THE   BROTHEB   SOLDIERS.  37 

"And  when  the  fight  is  hottest,  before  the  traitors  fry, 
When  shell  and  ball  are  screeching'  and  bursting  in  the 

sky. 
If  any  shot  should  hit  me,  and  lay  me  on  my  face, 
My   soul    would    go    to    Washington's    and    not   to 

Arnold's  place." 

A  day  or  two  after  Daniel  left  home,  a 
note  came  from  him  in  Boston,  saying  that 
the  troops  were  expecting  to  leave  for 
Washington.  You  can  think,  then,  how 
troubled  the  Warrens  were  when,  soon 
after,  they  read  that  a  regiment  of  soldiers 
had  been  mobbed  as  they  passed  through 
Baltimore,  on  their  way  to  the  capital ;  and 
what  was  worse,  that  several  of  them  were 
wounded. 

Many  a  Massachusetts  family  did  not 
close  their  eyes  that  night,  for  the  whole 
North  was  in  commotion  over  the  news. 
Frank  and  Roger  waited  impatiently  at  the 
post-office  for  the  mails  to  open,  but  failed 
for  some  days  to  get  the  looked-for  letter. 
At  last,  however,  it  came,  and  the  boys 
bounded  home  with  their  prize.  "Here, 
mother,  here  it  is,"  shouted  Roger,  "he 
isn't  dead  yet,  is  he,  mother?"  and  looking 


38  THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

at  the  address,  "Isn't  it  straight!  I 
couldn't  write  like  that  if  I  lived  to  be  as 
old  as  Adam."  There  was  a  grand  jubilee 
for  a  moment,  but  silence  as  the  mother 
began  to  read  Daniel's  letter : 

Washington,  April — ,  1S61. 

My  Deak  Ones  at  Home  : 

I  know  you  Lave  been  thinking  of  me  during  these 
eventful  days  ; — let  me  say  then,  right  here,  that  I  am 
well  and  happy, — never  in  my  life  more  so  ;  for  every 
day  I  am  more  assured,  dear  parents,  that  in  turning 
soldier  I  have  done  right  Since  bidding  you  good-by, 
I  have  led  rather  a  rough  life  but  am  less  inclined  to 
turn  back  now  than  ever. 

When  we  reached  Boston  we  found  awaiting  us  a  com- 
pany from  Marblehead,  who  claim  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  to  start  for  the  war.  A  few  hours  were  spent  in 
regulating  and  arranging  the  troops,  and  then  we 
gathered  in  front  of  the  State  House,  to  hear  the 
farewell  of  our  Governor.  The  next  day  we  started 
for  "Washington.  Our  men  were  in  good  spirits,  and 
time  passed  away  pleasantly  enough  on  our  journey. 
"We  have  some  religious,  as  well  as  merely  good  men  in 
the  regiment.  As  we  passed  through  Trenton,  Xew 
Jersey,  some  one  asked  a  member  of  our  company  if 
he  had  any  whisky  to  stimulate  him.  "  That  is  my 
stimulant,"  said  the  soldier,  drawing  a  Bible  from  his 
pocket.     I  thought  of  an  army  I  had  read  of  in  his- 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  39 

tory,  who  carried  Bibles  and  sang  hymns,  and  of  whom 
it  is  recorded  that  "  no  enemy  ever  saw  their  backs." 
At  Philadelphia  some  more  companies  joined  us,  and 
we  left  early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  for  Bal- 
timore, which  we  reached  at  noon.  The  cars  are 
there  drawn  by  horses  from  one  depot  to  another. 
Some  of  the  forward  cars  had  gone  on  thus,  but  wre 
soon  found  that  rebels  were  ready  to  dispute  our  pas- 
sage north  of  Washington,  as  well  as  south  of  it.  No 
horses  were  brought  to  our  car ;  and  as  wc  did  not 
like  the  looks  of  the  crowd  around  us,  our  captain — a 
first-rate  fellow,  by  the  way — concluded  to  leave  the 
cars  and  "  form  "  in  the  street,  which  we  did  under 
difficulties,  for  the  mob  began  to  throw  stones  at  us 
from  the  house-tops.  We  had  something  of  a  fight 
with  them  there,  though  we  did  not  fire  until  one  of  our 
men  was  killed.  At  last  we  determined  to  march  to 
the  Washington  depot,  hoping  for  protection  from  the 
mayor  and  police,  who  had  come  to  our  help.  But 
the  mob  was  too  furious  to  be  controlled ;  they  had 
barricaded  the  streets,  and  tried  desperately  to  over- 
whelm us  with  a  shower  of  stones  from  the  windows 
and  roofs.  I  thought  our  color-bearer  would  surely 
fall,  but  he  kept  the  good  flag  aloft  through  it  all. 
lie's  a  brave  one — that  Timothy  Crowley !  You  read, 
perhaps,  of  the  Governor  giving  us  a  flag,  and  charging 
us  to  keep  it  from  the  hands  of  the  foe.  Of  course, 
we  cheered,  and  vowed  to  die  in  its  defense — little 
thinking  it  was  so  soon  to  be  imperilled.  Crowley 
marched  at  our  head  that  day  as  if  no  earthly  power 


40  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

could  stay  him  :  I  could  think  only  of  the  irrepressible 
advance  of  a  locomotive,  as  I  watched  the  flag  moving 
straight  onward  ;  it  never  looked  as  bright  to  me  as 
in  the  tramp  of  that  dismal  afternoon, — for  we  had 
nothing  but  that  to  cheer  us — not  even  music. 
One  great  paving-stone  hit  Crowley  between  the 
shoulders,  and  rested  on  his  knapsack  till  one  of  the 
sergeants  stepped  up  and  knocked  it  off;  but  lie  never 
faltered  in  his  march.  One  of  my  comrades  was 
killed  before  my  eyes.  You  can  imagine,  perhaps,  how 
I  felt ;  but  no,  I  don't  think  you  can.  Before,  when 
we  were  talking  in  the  cars  about  the  future,  I  won- 
dered whether  I  might  not  be  afraid  to  fight  when  the 
time  came — whether  I  could  really  trust  myself  to  face 
loaded  muskets,  or  to  put  a  bullet  into  a  fellow-being. 
And  I  confess,  when  I  first  saw  the  crowd  of  ruffians 
in  Baltimore,  I  did  feel  a  little  shaky  for  a  moment. 
I'd  never  seen  a  mob  before,  you  know ;  that  may 
serve  as  some  excuse  for  me.  But  when  we  began  to 
defend  ourselves,  I  forgot  myself:  amid  the  rush  and 
din,  I  was  half  conscious  that  my  last  moment  might 
be  near,  but  I  was  so  angry  at  the  mob  of  traitors 
that  I  could  think  of  nothing  clearly  except  the  busi- 
ness in  hand.  Well,  we  finished  it  at  last :  but  those 
were  much  the  hardest  two  miles  I  ever  walked.  "When 
we  reached  the  cars,  bearing  our  dead  and  wounded 
with  us,  I  examined  my  left  arm,  which  had  a  queer, 
numb  feeling  in  it.  I  must  have  been  hit  by  a  stone, 
though  when  I  couldn't  tell ;  I  remember  being  knocked 
about  somewhat  in  the  march.,  and  am  pretty  sure  I 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  41 

dealt  out  as  many  blows  as  I  got.  For  once  it  was 
better  to  give  than  to  receive.  Don't  be  troubled  about 
my  arm  ;  no  bones  are  broken.  The  wound  is  simply  a 
braise  and  a  slight  cut,  of  which  I  am  prouder  than  I 
should  be  of  a  college  prize.  They  sent  me  here  to 
the  hospital,  but  I  am  to  leave  in  a  few  days.  Did 
you  hear  about  one  of  our  men  who  bled  to  death 
in  Baltimore?  lie  died  saluting  the  flag:  they  had 
taken  him  into  a  house,  and  just  before  he  ceased  to 
breathe  he  stood  up,  his  right  hand  raised,  his  eyes 
uplifted,  and  exclaimed  :  '"All  hail  to  the  Stars  and 
Stripes!*' — a  good  word  for  dying  patriot  lips. 

The  whole  city  was  in  tumult  when  we  arrived  here, 
and  still  remains  so,  for,  though  troops  are  coming  in 
every  day,  we  are  hardly  safe  yet.  You've  read,  perhaps, 
of  the  rebel  plan  to  seize  Harper's  Ferry  and  march 
upon  "Washington.  That  news  was  communicated  to  the 
loyal  men  here,  who  had  a  secret  meeting  in  a  church 
that  very  night  (the  15th  of  April),  and  organized  a 
battalion  for  the  city's  defense.  You  may  judge  they 
were  brave  fellows,  for  the  whole  battalion  mustered 
only  200  men.  But  their  colonel,  Cassius  Clay,  whose 
name  they  bear,  is  equal  to  a  regiment  of  soldiers.  I 
believe  his  mere  name  would  make  the  rebels  tremble. 
They  say  he  is  the  only  anti-slavery  man  these  South- 
erners are  afraid  to  attack ;  he  goes  armed,  and 
they've  always  found  him  ready  for  them  ;  otherwise 
they  would  have  killed  him  by  stealth  long  ago. 
The  Clay  Battalion  patrol  the  city,  while  General 
Scott's  regulars  defend  the  Capitol,  and  another  body 


42  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIER?. 

of  troops  guard  the  "White  House.  Headquarters  are 
in  the  Senate  Chamber,  and  the  New  York  7th  lias 
the  Hall  of  Representatives  :  but  we  hope  to  be  well 
defended  before  another  week  closes.  Don't  be  anxious 
about  me,  my  dear  ones.  I  may  not  be  able  to 
write  often  or  regularly,  but  shall  take  advantage  of 
my  opportunities.  I  enclose  a  song  one  of  our  men, 
Ephraim  Peabody,  sung  the  night  after  our  march 
through  Baltimore  ;  'tis  said  to  be  his  own  composition. 

A  few  directions  concerning  letters,  and 
some  friendly  messages,  closed  Daniel's 
letter.     This  was  the  song  : — 

THE  YANKEE  VOLUNTEERS. 

Come,  all  ye  true  Americans,  that  love  the  Stripes  and 
Stars, 

For  which  your  gallant  countrymen  go  marching  to 
the  Avars, 

For  grand  old  Massachusetts  raise  up  three  rousing 
cheers, — 

Three  times  three  and  a  tiger  for  the  Yankee  Volun- 
teers ! 

The  nineteenth  day  of  April  they  marched  unto  the 
war, 

And  on  that  day,  upon  the  way,  they  stopped  at  Balti- 
more, 

And  trustingly  expected  the  customary  cheers, 

"Which  every  loyal  city  gives  the  Yankee  Volunteers. 


43 


But  suddenly  in  fury  there  came  a  mighty  crowd, 
Led  on  by  negro-drivers  with  curses  long  and  loud  ; 
With  frenzied  imprecations,  with  savage  threats  and 

sneers, 
They  welcomed  to  the  city  tho  Yankee  Volunteers. 

The  murderous  storm  of  missiles  laid  many  a  soldier 
low, 

Yet  still  these  gallant  hearts  forbore  to  give  the  an- 
swering blow, 

Till  all  the  miscreants  shouted,  "They're  nearly  dead 
with  fears, 

We'll  hurry  up  and  finish  these  Yankee  Volunteers." 

But  lo !    the  guns  are  leveled,  and  loud   the  volleys 

roar, 
And  inch  by  inch  they  fight  their  way  through  tho 

streets  of  Baltimore. ; 
Before  them  shrunk  the  traitors,  above  them  rise  the 

cheers, 
As  through  the  throng  they  march  along — the  Yankee 

Volunteers. 

Hurrah,  then,  for  the  old  Bay  State,  that  stood  so  well 
at  bay  ! 

Hurrah  for  those  who  shed  their  blood  and  gave  their 
lives  away ! 

For  good  old  Massachusetts,  boys,  now  give  three 
rousing  cheers, — 

Three  times  three  and  a  tiger  for  the  Yankee  Volun- 
teers ! 


Chapter  III. 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  ARMY. 

Of  course,  the  talk  and  thought  of  the 
house  after  this  was  of  Daniel's  wound. 
Some  honest  pride  was  mingled  with  their 
sadness,  as  the  Warrens  spoke  of  their 
boy,  already  a  young  hero,  and  among  the 
first  to  suffer  in  the  common  cause.  "If  I 
could  only  fly  to  the  hospital  and  see  just 
how  he  really  is,"  said  Mrs.  Warren  and 
Aunt  Ellen  at  least  twenty  times  a  day. 
"I  dreamt  last  night  that  I  saw  brother 
Daniel,"  said  Maedy  one  morning.  "  He 
looked  so  bright  and  brave,  and  kissed  me 
over  and  over  again.  I  wanted  to  see  his 
arm,  then  he  laughed  and  said,  '  Oh,  it 
isn't  very  bad,  my  darling.'  But  I  made 
him  roll  up  his  sleeve,  and  there  was  a 
gash,  and  the  blood  running  out ;  that 
frightened  me  so  that  I  cried,  and  then  I 
woke  up.  Oh  dear  !  I  hope  he's  well  by  this 
44 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  45 

time.  Dreams  go  by  contraries,  you  know, 
mamma.  Then  afterward  I  dreamt  of  going 
to  St.  Louis  to  see  brother  Horace.  Don't 
you  believe  he  gets  home-sick  sometimes, 
way  off  there?" 

"  No,  dear,  I  don't  think  he  does,  though 
he  certainly  would  like  to  see  us  all ;  but 
he  has  a  great  deal  to  do  in  Uncle  George's 
store ;  he's  been  gone  a  year,  you  know, 
and  by  that  time  people  generally  get  over 
home-sickness." 

"But  would  you  like  to  live  as  Uncle 
George  does,  in  a  city,  and  such  a  smoky 
one  ?  I  shouldn't  think,  if  he  had  the  best 
house  in  the  city,  Horace  would  like  to 
stay  there.  No  cows,  no  chickens,  no 
birds — nothing  prettv  out-doors,  is  there, 
mamma?" 

"Oh,  yes,  there  are  many  pleasant  things 
i;i  a  city,"  said  Mrs.  Warren,  smiling. 
"Horace  likes  St.  Louis  very  much." 

"Is  there  any  war  off  there,  mamma?" 

"Not  much  yet,  dear;  but  they're 
making  ready  for  it.  Why  do  you  ask, 
Maedy  ?" 


46  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS 

"Oh,  nothing ;  I  was  thinking,  suppose 
brother  Horace  should  go  to  the  war,  as 
Daniel  did  here.  But  he  won't,  will  he, 
mamma?" 

"  No,  Maedy,  he'd  hardly  want  to  go,  I 
think.  He's  older  than  Daniel,  and  settled 
in  business,  so  he  couldn't  leave  very  well  ; 
and  if  he  could,  we  couldn't  spare  both 
sons.  Come,  little  one,  it's  school-time, 
run  and  get  your  hat,"  she  added  hurriedly, 
as  if  she  wished  to  talk  no  more  on  the 
subject. 

Most  of  you,  little  readers,  can  remem- 
ber, and  most  of  you  will  carry  some 
memory  of  those  days  through  your  lives. 
So  you  need  not  be  told  how  morning, 
noon,  and  night,  the  Warren  family  talked 
of  "the  country  "  and  its  afflictions.  But 
as  the  children  could  not  understand  all 
that  was  said,  and  as  the  father  knew  they 
were  living  in  a  time  that  however  dark 
then,  would  hereafter  be  memorable  in  their 
nation's  history,  he  often  gathered  them 
about  him  at  evening,  and  talked  of  the 
news,   "story  fashion,"  as  Franklin  said; 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS  47 

that  is,  in  a  simple,  easy  way  that  the  chil- 
dren could  understand. 

14  Father,  there's  a  terrible  row  over  the 
rebels,  isn't  there  ?  "  exclaimed  Roger,  one 
evening,  as  Mr.  Warren  was  talking  thus 
to  the  children  around  the  tea-table. 

"Not  exactly  a  row,  Roger,"  said  Mr. 
Warren.  "  We'll  leave  that  to  prize- 
fighters and  their  like.  The  people  and 
their  Government  have  set  themselves  to 
their  work :  they  dislike  to  fight,  and 
have  waited  patiently  many  years,  hoping 
to  get  over  their  troubles  without  shedding 
blood ;  but  now  their  forts  are  seized, 
their  capital  is  threatened,  and  they  must 
defend  themselves.  That  they  mean  to  do, 
children  :  no  '  rebel '  will  ever  come  here 
and  take  our  home  from  us,  and  no  slaves 
will  ever  be  sold  from  Bunker  Hill,  though 
a  Southern  leader  lately  said  they  would. 
The  loyal  States  are  forbidding  that  now 
with  every  tick  of  the  clock.  New  York 
is  already  sending  some  of  the  thirty  thou- 
sand men  she  has  promised  for  the  defense 
of  the   Union ;    Massachusetts  is  sending 


43  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS, 

hers,  Vermont  is  mustering  her  Green 
Mountain  boys,  and  Rhode  Island  sends 
her  Governor  to  lead  her  troops.  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  others 
have  answered  the  President's  call.  True, 
the  Governors  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Mis- 
souri and  North  Carolina  refuse  to  obey  it. 
But  these  border  States  are  half  loyal ;  the 
authorities  can't  keep  some  of  the  people 
from  coming  over  to  our  side  in  course  of 
time  ;  and  at  the  rate  soldiers  are  gathering 
now,  we  need  not  be  afraid.  This  great 
mustering  of  troops  you  must  remember, 
children.  When  you  grow  to  be  gray- 
headed  old  men,  and  you,  Maedy,  a 
wrinkled  grand-mamma  in  caps,  the  peo- 
ple of  that  day  will  want  you  to  tell 
them  about  the  '  uprising  of  the  North.' 
It  will  be  a  wonderful  tale — a  bright  page 
in  our  history  if  we're  successful,  and 
every  day  now  makes  us  more  likely  to 
be  so.  It's  wonderful  how  the  heart  of 
the  people  is  true  to  the  country  as  the 
heart  of  one  man.  I  read  of  a  New  York 
merchant   who    told    his   son    he'd   rather 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  49 

give  a  thousand  dollars  than  have  him 
go  soldiering  to  Washington,  and  the 
young  man  replied,  "Father,  if  you  could 
make  it  a  hundred  thousand,  'twould  be  of 
no  use,  for  where  the  Seventh  Regiment 
goes,  I  go."  Another  story  is  told  of 
a  quaker  who  asked  one  of  his  clerks  if  lie 
was  willing  to  enlist.  The  clerk  said  he'd 
thought  of  it,  but  had  hesitated,  fearing 
he  might  lose  his  place.  "  Well,"  said  the 
Quaker,  "  if  thee  will  enlist,  thee  shall 
have  thy  place,  and  thy  salary  shall  go  on 
while  thee  is  away.  But  if  thee  will  not 
serve  thy  country,  thee  cannot  stay  in  this 
store." 

"  Yes,"  said  Aunt  Ellen,  "  I've  seen 
some  thrilling  incidents  about  the  i  great 
uprising.'  "I  saved  some  of  them  for 
Frank ;  I'll  get  them  for  you.'7  The  extracts 
were  found  after  supper  and  read : 

"  One  old  man  in  a  town  in  Indiana  bogged  permis- 
sion to  join  the  volunteers,  but  his  white  hair  and 
sixty-five  years  prevented  his  acceptance.  lie  went  to 
a  barber's,  had  his  beard  cropped,  his  hair  dyed,  and 
again  applied  for  admission.    This  time  he  was  not  de- 


50  TIIE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

tected,  and  when  asked  his  age,  after  being  received, 
he  replied.  '  rising  tbirty-fi . 

••  A  tall,  splendid-looking  man,  dressed  in  the  uni- 
form of  the  Allen  Grays,  Vermont,  stood  talking  with  a 
friend  on  Broadway.  He  was  unconscious  that  his  su- 
perior height  was  attracting  notice,  until  a  barouche 
stopped  at  the  sidewalk,  and  a  young  man  sprang  from 
it  and  grasped  his  hand,  saying.  '•  You  are  the  finest 
fellow  I  ever  saw.  I  am  a  Southerner,  but  my  heart  is 
with  the  Union.  If  it  were  not,  such  noble-looking 
fellows  as  yourself  would  enlist  me  in  the  cause.'  The 
soldier  was  surprised  but  self-possessed,  and  an- 
swered the  young  Southerner's  greeting  with  cordiality. 
He  was  considerably  over  six  feet,  and  his  noble,  open 
face  beamed  with  the  manly  patriotism  of  the  Green 
Mountain  Boys,  of  whom  he  was  so  fine  a  specimen. 
He  had  walked  fifteen  miles  from  the  village  of  Chitten- 
den to  enlist.  Long  may  he  live  to  honor  our  Stars 
and  Stripes ! " 

"  The  ladies  of  Boston,  Mass.,  were  informed  that 
five  thousand  soldiers'  shirts  were  needed  within 
twenty-four  hoars.  They  obtained  sewing-machines, 
and  with  the  aid  of  some  Roxbury  ladies,  went  to 
work  in  '  Liberty  Hall,'  and  had  the  whole  number 
completed  within  the  allotted  time."  > 

"And  now  only  see  what  one  woman 
can  do,"  said  Aunt  Ellen,  and  read: 

-  Mrs.  Eliza  Gray  Fisher,  a  lady  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  past  the  age  of  sixty,  knowing  from  experi- 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  51 

ence  the  necessities  of  the  volunteer  soldiers,  hav- 
ing lost  a  grandfather  in  the  Eevolution,  and  a  father 
in  the  war  of  1812,  determined,  when  volunteers 
were  called  for,  to  provide  an  outfit  of  underclothing 
for  an  entire  company.  This  she  has  accomplished 
with  the  aid  of  a  few  lady  friends,  though  pressed 
meanwhile  with  domestic  duties.  The  articles  are  of 
the  best  material  and  most  thorough  workmanship; 
they  are  as  follows  :  130  shirts,  130  pair  of  drawers, 
130  towels,  130  pocket-handkerchiefs,  130  pair  of 
socks,  12  hospital  gowns,  55  bags  with  needles,  pins, 
thread,  etc.,  G5  Havelock  caps,  500  yards  bandages. 
Here  is  a  woman  of  true  Revolutionary  stock.  All 
honor  to  her ! " 

"  While  a  Massachusetts  regiment  was  passing 
through  New  York  to  Washington,  a  gentleman 
stopped  to  converse  with  one  of  its  members  on  the 
street.  '  Is  there  anything  I  can  do*  for  you,  sir  ?  "  asked 
the  Xew  Yorker,  his  heart  warming  to  the  man 
who  had  so  promptly  obeyed  his  country's  call.  The 
soldier  hesitated,  and  finally  raising  one  of  his  feet, 
showed  a  boot  with  a  hole  in  the  toe,  and  generally 
the  worse  for  wear.  '  How  came  you  here  with  such 
boots  as  those,  my  friend  ? '  asked  the  citizen.  '  When 
the  order  came  for  me  to  join  my  company,  sir,'  re- 
plied the  soldier, '  I  was  ploughing  in  the  same  field  at 
Concord  in  which  my  grandfather  was  ploughing  when 
the  British  fired  upon  our  men  at  Lexington.  He 
did  not  delay  a  moment,  and  I  did  not,  sir.'  The  ex- 
planation must  have  been  satisfactory,  for  the  soldier 


52  THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

was  afterwards  seen  marching  on  with  an  excellent 
pair  of  boots." 

u  Rev.  Dr.  "Worcester,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  in  addressing 
the  City  Guards,  who  were  to  leave  for  the  war,  closed 
his  remarks  amid  profound  stillness  as  follows  :  '  Sol- 
diers, on  a  memorable  night  of  ancient  battle,  when 
a  few  men  routed  many  thousands,  their  watch-cry 
was,  '  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon  ! '  I  give 
to  you,  soldiers,  for  your  watch-cry,  '  The  sword  of  the 
Lord  and  of  Washington  !  "' 

"  An  owner  of  a  blacksmith-shop  near  Flushing  came 
down  to  enlist.  He  couldn't  stand  it  any  longer,  and 
go  he  must.  The  boys  would  take  care  of  the  shop. 
Xext  day  the  oldest  son  appeared.  '  Business  wasn't 
very  drivin' ;  he  guessed  John  could  manage  it  alone/' 
and  he  enlisted.  But  John  found  the  shop  too  lonely  ; 
he  shut  it  up,  and  came  down  to  enlist,  too.  The  father 
remonstrated,  but  the  boy  prevailed.  There  were  two 
more  sons,  who  '  worked  the  farm  '  belonging  to  the 
old  man.  When  they  appeared  to  enlist,  the  father 
said  he  wouldn't  stand  it,  any  how.  The  blacksmith- 
shop  might  go,  but  the  farm  must  be  cared  for.  So 
the  boys  were  sent  home  ;  but  presently  one  of  them 
reappeared.  They  had  concluded  one  could  manage 
the  farm,  and  had  drawn  lots  for  the  chance  of  going. 
The  winner  had  come  to  join  his  father.  This  arrange- 
ment was  finally  agreed  on  ;  but  when  the  day  of 
departure  came,  behold,  the  last  boy  of  the  family  was 
ready  to  accompany  them !  The  father  was  at  a  loss 
how  to  understand  '  the  situation,'  but  the  boy  v.his- 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  63 

pered  with  a  confidential  chuckle  in  the  old  man's  ear, 
1  Father,  I've  let  the  farm  on  shares ! '  The  -whole 
family,  father  and  four  sons,  went  in  the  14th  N.  Y. 
Regiment.'' 

'•  When  the  New  York  7th  left  the  other  day  for 
the  war,  the  whole  city  bade  it  farewell  with  tears, 
shouts  and  blessings.  For  two  miles  they  marched 
through  the  eager  throng,  who  pressed  gifts  upon  them 
BS  they  passed  of  combs,  pocket-knives,  and  all  sorts 
of  small  articles  that  a  soldier  could  be  supposed  to 
use.  One  man  received  a  purse  with  ten  bright  quar- 
ter eagles  in  it ;  and  all  through  New  Jersey,  as  the 
train  bore  them  from  one  station  to  another,  proces- 
sions thronged  at  the  stations.  It  was  more  like  an 
ovation  to  troops  returning  from  victory,  than  an 
adieu  to  men  going  to  try  the  fortunes  of  war." 

"Father,"  said  Franklin,  "the  rebels 
have  taken  Harper's  Ferry.  Isn't  that  a 
strong  place?" 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  think  we  shall  have  it  back 
again  before  long.  Harper's  Ferry  is  on 
the  Potomac,  you  know,  boys,  and  unless 
we  drive  the  rebels  out  of  Virginia  soon — 
which  is  hardly  probable — all  that  region 
will  change  hands  many  times." 

"  Why  will  it?"  asked  Franklin. 

"  Because   we   shall   fieht    our    battles 


54  THE    BROTIIEll    SOLDIERS. 

there,  and  whoever  wins  will  keep  the 
ground  till  driven  away  by  the  enemy." 

"The  folks  there  will  be  sorry  they 
joined  the  rebels,  I  guess,"  said  Roger. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  they'll  be  sorry,  though 
they  may  not  repent.  Virginia — the 
State  that  supplied  the  Southern  slave 
market  with  its  victims — is  to  meet  with 
the  most  terrible  punishment  a  country 
can  suffer,  war  on  her  own  soil.  That  is 
the  prophecy  of  to-day.  Take  notice, 
children,  whether  it  proves  a  true  one  or 
not." 

Some  days  afterward,  as  Mrs.  Warren  and 
Aunt  Ellen  sat  sewing  after  the  day's  work 
was  "  done  up,"  Mr.  "Warren,  who  had  been 
busy  on  the  farm,  came  in,  and  read  aloud 
the  news  while  resting,  discussing  it  as  he 
went  along.  "  That  Navy  Yard  affair  is  a 
bad  one — bad  enough,"  he  said,  after  read- 
ing a  description  of  the  "  Old  Pennsyl- 
vania." I  hope  the  rebels  won't  be  able 
to  give  us  another  blow  as  severe  as  that." 

"  Navy  Yard  !  "  exclaimed  Franklin, 
looking  up  from  the  "Rule  of  Three7'  he 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  55 

was  studying.  "  The  rebels  haven't  come 
up  to  Charlestown,  I  hope  ?  M 

k*Xo,  indeed!"  said  his  father,  smiling. 
"  Uncle  Sam  has  several  yards  for  his  ships 
and  sailors  besides  the  one  you  and  I  saw 
when  we  went  to  Boston  last  year." 

"  Yes,  I  went  to  the  one  in  Brooklyn 
sometime  ago,"  said  Aunt  Ellen.  "I  re- 
member the  great  houses  there  built?  just 
to  protect  the  boats.  All  you  could  see 
inside  was  a  monstrous  boat,  or  vessel 
rather,  that  reached  to  the  roof  and  filled 
up  the  whole  house." 

"But  which  Navy  Yard  is  it  that  the 
rebels  have  taken?"  asked  Franklin. 

"  The  one  at  Gosport,"  answered  his  fa- 
ther. u  We  generally  call  it  the  Norfolk 
Navy  Yard.  The  dispatches  tried  to  put  a 
good  face  on  the  matter,  but  it  proves  to 
be  a  bad  one  for  us.  It  seems  this  Captain 
McCauley,  who  was  the  officer  in  charge, 
destroyed  whatever  he  could — buildings, 
guns,  small  arms,  powder,  everything.  He 
sunk  the  ships,  too — let  me  see,"  said  Mr. 
W.,  looking  at  the  paper,  "  the   Cumber- 


56  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

land,  the  huge  old  three-decker  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  steam  frigate  Merrimac — they 
say  that  was  one  of  the  finest  ships  afloat 
— and  several  others  are  given  here.  Ten 
million  dollars  the  whole  cost  us,  and 
now,  when  we  must  have  a  Navy,  its 
worth  is  beyond  all  money." 

"  But  if  that  Captain  had  plenty  of  pow- 
der and  guns,  couldn't  he  have  staid  there 
and  kept  the  place?*'  asked  Franklin. 
"Didn't  he  have  any  soldiers?7' 

"  Yes ;  and  if  he'd  held  out  only  a 
little  while,  plenty  of  men  would  have 
come  to  his  help.'1 

"  There  must  have  been  some  cowardice 
at  the  bottom  of  that  affair,"  said  Mr. 
AVarren,  earnestly.  "  Such  treasure  should 
not  be  lost  without  a  blow.  Pity  there 
hadn't  been  a  Lawrence  at  the  head  of 
those  men,  to  die  if  need  were,  defending 
his  trust,  and  shouting  in  death,  *  Don't 
give  up  the  ship,  boys  ! '  " 

"Yes,"  rejoined  Franklin,  "if  Paul  Jones, 
now,  had  been  there, — I  was  reading  about 
him  in  a  book   yesterday.     The  English 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  57 

sailors  had  battered  him  till  they  were  tired 
out,  and  they  set  his  ship  on  fire,  too. 
After  a  while  they  called  out  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  given  up.  But  I  guess  they 
felt  more  like  giving  up  than  he  did,  for 
he  called  back,  'No!  he'd  just  begun  to 
fight.'  That  astonished  them  so  that  they 
let  him  beat  them  outright.  Well,"  he 
added,  "  this  McCauley,  is  it? — if  he  tore 
things  to  pieces  so,  the  rebels  couldn't  get 
anything  more  than  the  yard,  I  suppose?" 
"Probably  not,  at  present/'  said  Mr. 
Warren.  "But  great  ships  and  cannon  are 
not  so  easily  made  useless.  The  rebels 
will  manage  to  get  at  least  some  of  them 
in  working  order  again.  The  main  trouble 
with  us  now  is,  that  our  regular  army  and 
navy  are  tainted  with  Southern  treason. 
They're  not  to  be  depended  on.  Just  see 
how  many  United  States  officers  have  given 
themselves,  body  and  soul,  to  the  rebellion. 
There's  Beauregard,  Johnston,  Lee,  Bragg, 
Twiggs,  among  their  generals,  and  I  don't 
know  how  many  more  of  their  other  offi- 
cers— deserters  from  our  ranks.     But  who- 


55  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

ever  else  fails,  we  can  trust  the  nation. 
The  people  are  speaking  now,  and  these 
Army  and  Navy  gentlemen  will  understand 
that  if  they  refuse  to  defend  the  Union, 
they  must  sutler  with  the  rebels." 

But  the  rule  of  three  wanted  further 
studying,  and  Eoger  also  had  an  "awful" 
lesson  to  learn — so  he  said.  The  conversa- 
tion, therefore,  was  stopped  for  the  evening. 

"  Father,"  said  Franklin,  the  next  time 
the  war  was  mentioned,  "  do  the  soldiers 
go  through  Baltimore  yet?" 

"  Xot  yet,  but  they  will  very  soon.  The 
bridges  near  the  city  are  torn  up,  so  there's 
no  passage  across  the  streams.  But  the 
other  day,  when  some  men  wanted  the 
President  to  say  that  no  more  soldiers 
should  pass  that  way,  he  told  them  they 
•must.  '  They  can't  go  under  Maryland,' 
he  said,  i  nor  fly  over  it,  and  they  shall 
come  through  it.'  Afterward  another  com- 
mittee came,  and  declared  that  seventy-live 
thousand  Marylanders  would  dispute  the 
passage  of  any  more  soldiers  through  the 
State.     He  replied  very  calmly  that   he 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  59 

'  presumed  there  was  room  enough  in  Mary- 
land to  bury  seventy-five  thousand  men.'  " 

"  That's  the  right  kind  of  talk  for  such 
fellows!  Why,  he's  a  regular  old  brick!" 
exclaimed  Roger.  "  I  always  thought  he 
was  one  of  the  mealy-mouthed  sort.  A 
little  while  after  they  made  him  president, 
you  see,  old  Walker/' — 

"Who,  Roger?"  interrupted  his  father. 

"Well,  that's  what  the  boys  call  him, 
father.  Mr.  Walker  then  read  some  of 
Lincoln's — what  d'you  call  it,  the  speech 
he  makes  when  he  first  gets  up  ?" 

"Inaugural,77  suggested  Franklin. 

"Yes,  that's  it  3  and  it  told  all  about 
'chords  of  memory/  and  so  on/7  continued 
Roger,  unmindful  of  the  laugh  he  had  pro- 
voked. 

"  Lincoln  has  been  abused  for  many  rea- 
sons ;  but  I  don't  think  any  one  but  you 
ever  thought  he  was  '  mealy-mouthed,' 
Roger,77  said  his  father. 

"Well,  father,"  continued  Franklin; 
"  aren't  the  soldiers  going  through  Balti- 
more, if  the  President  said  they  should  ?7' 


60  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

"  Yes,  as  soon  as  they  can.  Our  General 
Butler  went  on  a  few  days  ago,  with  some 
more  Massachusetts  soldiers  and  the  New 
York  Seventh — the  finest  regiment  of  the 
State.  When  lie  found  the  bridges  burned, 
he  turned  aside  to  Havre  de  Grace.  Get 
your  geography,  Frank,  we'll  find  it  on  the 
map."  The  map  was  soon  found.  "Ah, 
here  it  is  !  Then  he  seized  a  steamer,  and 
brought  his  men  down  here  to  Annapolis. 
The  State  authorities  refused  to  let  him 
land  ;  but  land  he  did,  with  all  his  men,  in 
spite  of  the  rascals.  Now,  how  do  you  sup- 
pose they  got  on  from  Annapolis  to  Wash- 
ington?" 

"  By  railroad,"  guessed  Frank. 

"Yes;  but  howl  The  track  was  torn 
up,  and  the  locomotives  gone.  "What  do 
you  think  they  did?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  Frank. 

"Well,  they  found  a  rusty  little  locomo- 
tive. One  of  the  men  eyed  it  a  moment, 
and  said  that  came  from  the  shop  he 
worked  in.  Then,  at  a  word  from  the 
General,  he  and  some  others  began  to  put 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  Gl 

it  in  order.  Whoever  could  lay  a  railroad 
track  was  next  called  out  and  put  to  work. 
In  a  little  while  the  train  started,  stopping 
every  hour  or  two  to  lay  rails  and  build 
bridges.  Once  they  came  to  a  pool  of 
water,  where  a  rail  was  missing ;  down 
went  a  little  fellow  into  the  water,  and 
came  up  with  the  rail.  So  they  worked 
their  way  along  thus  for  three  days,  and 
came  to  their  journey's  end.'7 

"  I  don't  believe  our  soldiers  are  any- 
thing like  those  that  fight  for  the  kings 
Daniel  told  us  about,"  said  Franklin. 

"  No,  indeed,"  replied  the  father ;  "  our 
men  are  not  mere  soldiers,  that  spend  their 
time  in  idleness  when  there  is  no  war. 
All  trades  and  professions  are  represented 
in  our  ranks.  If  bread  is  wanted,  out  step 
a  dozen  bakers  ready  to  make  it,  and 
behind  them  as  many  masons  to  build  the 
ovens,  and  at  their  sides  stand  tailors, 
blacksmiths,  gunsmiths,  lawyers,  artists, 
poets — the  fruit  and  flower  of  the  land. 
They're  not  ashamed  to  work,  nor  afraid  to 
die.      One   of  our  colonels   addressed  his 


G2  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

regiment  the  other  day,  as  they  were  leav- 
ing Annapolis  for  "Washington  ;  he  said, 
i  If  any  of  you  falter,  you  will  be  instantly 
shot  down  ;  and  if  I  falter,  I  hope  you  will 
put  a  thousand  bullets  through  my  heart.' 
He  spoke  earnestly,  and  his  men  responded 
'aye,'  with  equal  warmth." 

The  faces  of  the  boys  shone  with  pride ; 
for  who  of  us  will  ever  cease  to  love  and 
admire  our  Union  army  ? 

"  Oh,  father,"  exclaimed  Franklin  ;  <;  we 
must  beat  the  rebels  with  such  an  army." 

"  Yes,  we  shall ;  not  merely  because  of 
the  army,  but  because  God,  the  mighty 
Helper  of  our  fathers,  is  with  us  still.  All 
over  the  land  men  are  raisins  their  hands 

o 

beseechingly  to  him,  as  the  hands  of  Moses 
were  uplifted  when  his  people  prevailed  in 
battle." 


Chapter  IV. 


WESTERN     TRAITORS     OUTWITTED. 

For  some  weeks  the  quiet  home-life  of 
the  Warrens  was  unbroken  by  any  note- 
worthy event.  They  looked  daily  for  a 
letter  from  Daniel,  but  none  came.  "  I 
wish  Horace  would  write  ;  I  can't  imagine 
why  he  doesn't/'  said  Mrs.  Warren,  one 
evening,  as  the  family  was  talking  of  its 
absent  members.  He  has  never  failed  be- 
fore to  send  us  some  word,  once  a  month 
at  least.  And  we  haven't  heard  from  him 
— let  me  think — 'twas  in  February  his  last 
letter  came.     It's  very  strange." 

"  Oh,  but  he's  always  so  busy  in  the 
Spring,  you  know,"  suggested  Aunt  Ellen. 
"And  then  they're  having  some  excitement 
in  Missouri,  just  now,  as  I  read.  He  has 
some   good   reason   for'   his    silence,    I'm 


G3 


04  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

"  But  its  just  because  the  country  out 
there  is  iu  such  a  disordered  state  that  I 
am  anxious  about  him.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  those  'Border  Ruffians'  in  Mis- 
souri that  fought  the  Free  Soil  men  of 
Kansas,  and  they  must  be  jubilant,  now 
that  the  Governor  is  trying  to  force  the 
State  into  the  Rebellion." 

"  But  in  a  large  city  like  St.  Louis,"  re- 
joined Aunt  Ellen,  soothingly,  "  a  great 
disturbance  wouldn't  be  permitted." 

"  But  you  know,  Ellen,  there  was  a  mob 
there  lately.  The  papers  were  full  of  it. 
I  cannot  quiet  my  fears  about  Horace  till 
we  hear  from  him." 

"  That  was  a  rebel  mob,"  replied  Aunt 
Ellen.  "  Horace  was  certainly  not  there  ; 
and  then  it  was  quelled  right  away.  I 
wouldn't  borrow- trouble,  sister  ;  wait  till 
you  have  to  take  it;"  and  Aunt  Ellen  said 
all  she  could  think  of  to  relieve  the  mo- 
ther's anxiety. 

But  they  had  not  long  to  wait.  When 
the  children  came  from  school  next  day, 
Aunt  Ellen  told  them  a  letter  had  come, 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  65 

and  asked  them  to  guess  who  it  was 
from. 

"  Daniel,"  they  all  cried  at  once. 

"No." 

k-  Horace,  then,"  said  Franklin. 

"  Yes,  a  nice  long  letter.77 

"  What  does  he  say — anything  about  the 
war  oft* there?" 

*;  Yes,  ever  so  much.  He's  very  well,  and 
sends  you  children  a  great  deal  of  love.'7 

"Ever  so  much  about  the  war,"  re- 
peated Franklin.  Read  it  to  us,  won't 
you,  Aunt  Ellen  ?     Do  please.77 

"  Yes,  Aunt  Ellen,  do  please,77  echoed 
Maedy  and  Roger.  So  the  letter  was 
brought,  and  the  children  gathered  around 
her  while  she  read  what  Horace  wrote  : 

"  St.  Louis,  May  — ,  1861. 
"  My  Dear  Parents  : 

"  I  have  been  so  busy  of  late,  and  so  absorbed  in  the 
excitement  of  the  times,  that  I  did  not  know  how  the 
time  had  slipped  by  since  my  last  letter  to  you,  until  I 
sat  down  this  evening'  and  reckoned  up  the  weeks  and 
months.  Your  letter,  dear  falter,  containing  the  news 
of  Daniel's  departure  for  the  war,  reached  me  a  couple 
of  days  ago.    I  sympathize  with  you  in  this  new  sepa- 


66  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

ration  ;  it  must  be  very  hard  ;  and  yet  both  you  and 
he  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  has  gone 
for  a  noble  cause.  I  can  hardly  imagine  our  thoughtful 
Daniel  as  a  soldier.  He  was  so  fond  of  his  books,  and 
so  full  of  his  college  plan?,  that  I  shouldn't  have  be- 
lieved he'd  care  for  anything  else.  But  these  times  are 
enough  to  rouse  the  most  indifferent.  Except  my 
necessary  business  affairs.  I  can't  think  of  anything  but 
the  events  of  the  day.  I  hope  you  have  not  been  un- 
easy at  my  unwilling  silence — for  such  it  has  been  for  the 
most  part.  My  business  has  kept  me  very  closely  con- 
fined ;  and  when  I  have  not  been  attending  to  that,  my 
mind  has  hardly  been  in  a  state  to  write,  so  disturbed 
have  we  been  all  through  Missouri  by  this  wicked 
rebellion.  TTe  have  both  sides  here — Union  men  and 
rebels ;  though  I  judge,  from  what  has  lately  taken 
place,  that  the  '  rebs '  will  ere  long  be  looking  out  for 
other  quarters.  You  have  read,  perhaps,  of  our  Gov- 
ernor's bad  behavior  all  through  this  crisis;  he  is  a 
State  rights  man  ;  we  have  many  of  them  out  this  way  ; 
they  believe,  it  seems,  in  their  own  State  government, 
but  not  in  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 
That's  what  they  say.  But  some  of  them,  like  the 
rebel  General  Price  here,  forget  now  and  then  to  follow 
their  doctrine.  He's  broken  with  Missouri — that  stays 
in  the  Union — and  gone  off  with  the  '  rebs,' — a  pretty 
way  to  treat  the  glorious  '  State  sovereignty'  they  boast 
of!  Our  Gov.  Jackson  m  something  like  him,  only  not 
near  so  much  of  a  man.  I  needn't  say  that  he's  no 
relation  whatever  to  the  old  General  and  President  of 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  67 

tbat  name.  I  can't  begin  to  tell  the  harm  this  traitor- 
ous Governor  and  his  servants  have  done  the  Union 
cans  •.  For  months  past  they  have  been  getting  toge- 
ther militia  companies, — keeping  them,  of  course,  under 
their  own  control ;" — 

14  "What  kind  of  companies  are  those?" 
asked  Franklin. 

11  Citizens  that  do  military  duty  when 
it's  needed, — not  regular  soldiers  in  the 
army,"  explained  Aunt  Ellen ;  and  went 
on  : — 

— "they've  formed  secret  organizations,  stored  away 
arms  and  ammunition," — 

""What's  that?"   interrupted  .Roger. 
"  Powder,  bullets,  any  such  thing  that 
is  used  in  loading  guns,"  replied  his  Aunt. 

— "  and  they  even  seized  an  arsenal  in  the  western  part 
of  the  State.  They  formed  what  they  called  a  '  State 
Guard,'  which  made  its  quarters  at  Camp  Jackson,  just 
outside  the  city.  The  name  of  the  camp,  and  its 
Davis  and  Beauregard  avenues,  told  very  plainly 
what  kind  of  men  were  in  it.  About  three  wreeks  ago 
they  made  preparations  to  seize  the  arsenal  here,  but 
were  wofully  disappointed.  Perhaps  you  saw  some 
account  of  that  affair  of  Captain  Stokes  ;  but  you  can 
hardly  imagine  the  effect  it  had  upon  our  loyal  people. 
He  came  down  here,  you  may  remember,  from  Illinois, 


68  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

with  a  Government  order  to  get  muskets  from  oui 
arsenal.  But  the  * rebs' were  so  thick  in  this  neigh- 
borhood that  he  couldn't  very  well  do  his  errand. 
In  the  night  he  managed  to  gain  entrance  to  the  build- 
ing, and  boxed  up  five  hundred  old  muskets,  brought 
there  to  be  altered ;  these  he  sent  off  secretly  to  a 
steamer,  as  if  he  were  in  a  great  hurry  to  get  away, 
and  so  attracted  the  rebel  spies,  who  were  on  the  watch. 
They  seized  the  old  muskets,  and  bore  them  off  in 
triumph.  But  meantime  Stokes  was  busy,  too.  lie  and 
his  men  made  prisoners  of  the  other  spies  at  the  arsenal. 
Then  they  went  to  work  loading  up  a  steamer  that 
was  in  waiting  at  the  arsenal-dock,  with  nearly  all  the 
weapons  contained  in  the  building.  About  two  o'clock 
at  night,  when  the  brave  fellows  thought  themselves 
ready  to  put  off,  they  found  the  steamer  fast  on  a  rock  ; 
so  they  had  to  fall  to  work  again,  and  ship  the  load 
before  they  could  get  under  way.  The  captain  of  the 
steamer  asked  Stokes  what  should  be  done  if  they  were 
attacked  ?  '  Fight,'  he  replied.  '  "What,  if  we  are  over- 
powered?' asked  the  Captain.  'Bun  her  to  the  deep- 
est part  of  the  river  and  sink  her,'  said  Stokes.  '  1*11 
do  it,'  he  said,  and  off  they  went.  But  the  bold 
captains  were  not  destined  to  be  drowned.  At  five 
o'clock  they  reached  Alton  ;  and  Stokes,  still  exposed 
to  the  dangerous  rebels,  went  into  the  town  and 
rang  the  fire-bell  with  all  his  might  and  main.  Out 
came  men,  women,  and  children,  to  see  what  was  the 
matter  ;  and  he  told  them  he  wanted  their  help  in  carry- 
in?  his  load  from  the  steamboat  to  the  cars.     Everv 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  G9 

one  started.  A  man  from  Alton  was  in  our  store  soon 
afterward,  and  told  me  he  never  saw  such  a  sight  in 
his  life  as  that  crowd  carrying  muskets  to  the  cars. 
There  were  little  girls,  young  ladies,  old  women,  black 
folks — nearly  all  the  loyal  people  of  the  town — toiling 
up  to  the  bank  with  muskets,  revolvers,  and  carbines 
for  two  hours.  By  seven  o'clock  all  was  ready,  and 
the  ears  started  for  Springfield." 

"Wasn't  that  well  done?"  said  Aunt 
Ellen,  looking  up  from  her  letter  to  the 
eager  faces  of  the  children. 

"  Hurrah  for  Stokes,"  exclaimed  Roger ; 
"  he's  a  knowing  one." 

"  I  wish  I  could  carry  a  musket  for  the 
Union  soldiers!"  said  Maedy,  with  glowing 
cheeks. 

"You  shall  do  something  for  them,  dar- 
ling," said  Aunt  Ellen.  "We're  going  to 
send  a  box  to  the  Fairbrook  company,  and 
you  shall  make  something  for  it." 

"  Is  that  all  the  letter?"  said  Franklin. 

"  No,  indeed,  there's  more  here.  Let 
me  see, — where  was  I?" 

— "  and  the  cars  started  for  Springfield.  Captain, 
(now  General)  Lyon,  the  commander  at  our  arsenal,  gave 
the  rebels  another  stunning  blow,  just  as  they  found 


70  THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

out  how  befooled  they  had  been  by  Stokes.  Lyon  had 
been,  at  work  quietly,  but  very  hard.  One  day  last 
week  (May  10th)  I  saw  the  streets  were  full  of  sol- 
diers, and  wondered  what  the  matter  was,  but  no  one 
could  explain.  "Without  an  hour's  delay  they  marched 
oil— six  thousand  Union  men,  with  Lyon  at  their  head, 
— to  the  music  of  our  national  airs,  straight  toward 
'Camp  Jackson,  and  demanded  its  surrender  within  half 
an  hour.  You  can  think  what  was  the  astonishment 
of  the  Camp  and  its  commander.  They  were  expect- 
ing just  the  opposite  event — the  surrender  of  Lyon  to 
them ;  for,  as  I  said,  they  had  made  preparations  to 
seize  the  arsenal  and  its  defenders.  But  Lyon  was 
ahead  of  them.  On  his  way  back,  as  he  was  bringing 
his  eight  hundred  prisoners  to  the  arsenal,  the  rebels  in 
our  city  showed  their  desperation  by  trying  to  raise  a 
riot  against  his  soldiers.  They  were  forced  at  la-t  to 
defend  themselves,  and  fired  into  the  crowd,  killing 
twenty-two.  Of  course,  this  affray  made  the  greatest 
excitement ;  but  I  can't  see  what  else  the  soldiers  could 
do  in  the  circumstances.  Lyon  is  a  real  hero, — brave, 
cool,  far-sighted.  No  one  in  the  West  has  such  sway 
over  loyal  men  as  he.  His  praise  is  in  their  mouths 
to-day.  He's  a  New-England  man  by  birth,  they  say, 
and  a  graduate  of  West  Point;  he  served  gallantly  in 
the  regular  army  during  the  Mexican  war,  and  after- 
ward did  duty  on  the  frontier,  but  offended  Buchanan 
and  his  pro-slavery  friends  because  he  refused  to  per- 
secute the  Free  Soil  men  of  Kansas.'' 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  71 

"  Buchanan  ;  he  was  the  President  before 
Mr.  Lincoln,  wasn't  he?"  asked  Maedy. 

"Yes, — and  a  dreadfully  bad  one,  too, ' 
said  Franklin.  "But  who  were  the  Free 
Soil  men  of  Kansas?" 

"  Men  that  went,  mostly  from  this  part 
of  the  country,  out  to  Kansas,  beyond 
Missouri;  they  went  to  stay,  and  didn't 
want  their  new  home  to  become  a  slave 
State.  The  Southern  people  determined  it 
should,  and  at  that  time  our  President  and 
Government  were  controlled  by  pro-slavery 
men.  The  Free  Soilers  out  there  had  a 
hard  struggle ;  but  finally  Kansas  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  Union  as  a  free  State,  just 
as  this  rebellion  began." 

"What. else  does  Horace  say  about  that 
general?"  asked  Maedy. 

"But  President  Lincoln  has  appointed  Lyon  over 
the  Department  of  St.  Louis,"  read  Aunt  Ellen, 
"  and  I  hope  he'll  stay  here  till  the  rebels  are  put 
down.  We  shall  be  likely  to  see  something  of  the  war 
in  this  State.  Outside  of  St.  Louis  it  is  filled  with 
rebels,  most  of  whom  are  Border  Ruffians,  as  your  East- 
ern papers  call  them.  There  are  a  great  many  Germans 
in  our  city,  and  they  are  all  for  the  Union ;  General 


72  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

Lyon's  regiments  are  largely  made  up  of  intelligent, 
trustworthy  Germans.  Since  the  second  call  of  our 
President  for  troops,  I've  sometimes  thought  if  I  wasn't 
so  deep  in  business,  that  I  might  go  myself.  But  it's 
impossible  at  present,  and  I  suppose  you'd  hardly  like 
to  have  both  Daniel  and  me  off  in  the  army.  You 
may  wonder  that  I  fill  my  letter  with  these  public 
affairs ;  but,  as  I  said,  we've  been  so  absorbed  with 
them  lately  that  we  can't  think  of  anything  else.  I 
suppose  much  that  I  have  written  you've  already  read 
in  the  papers  ;  but  such  accounts  seem  poor  and  cold 
to  one  who  has  lived  among  the  very  scenes  they 
describe,  and  I  thought  the  children  might  be  interested 
in  my  narration  of  them.  I  hope  we  shall  be  more 
settled  out  here  when  I  next  write.  Uncle  and  aunt 
send  affectionate  regards.  Please  give  a  cartload  of 
love  to  Aunt  Ellen  and  the  children,  and  believe  that  I 
remain,  as  ever, 

"  Tour  affectionate  son, 

"  Horace." 


Chapter  V. 


TIIE    FIRST    NATIONAL    BEREAVEMENT    OF    THE 
WAR. 

Tins  letter  was  talked  about  by  the 
children  for  "clays  afterward.  To  them  an 
account  of  the  troubles  in  Missouri  was 
real  and  interesting  as  a  story,  not  dull,  like 
history,  of  which  they  had  no  pleasanter 
idea  ,thau.  what  they  gathered  from  the 
"awfully  long  lessons'7  in  the  school- 
book.  Roger  whistled  "  Three  cheers  for 
the  Red,  White  and  Blue,"  from  morning 
till  night.  They  would  talk  of  Stokes  and 
the  musket-bearing  crowd,  after  they  had 
gone  to  bed,  till  the  mother's  voice 
called,  "  Shut  your  eyes,  children,  and  go 
to*sleep."  Horace's  narrative  had  so  pos- 
sessed their  childish  minds  that  they  sup- 
posed everything  now  was  favorable  to 
the  Union  cause,  and  bad  for  the  rebels. 
It  was,  therefore,  with  a  surprised  and  so- 
73 


74  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

ber  face  that  little  Maedy  asked  her  father, 
a  few  days  later,  if  he  knew  that  "  the 
rebels  had  killed  a  Union  man?" 

"  Yes,  dear,"  said  her  father,  smiling 
at  the  question,  "  they've  killed  hundreds, 
counting  all  they  murdered  for  slavery's 
sake  before  the  war  began.'7 

"  Yes,  but  this  is  a  new  one,7'  said 
Franklin.  "  Colonel  Ellsworth  is  the  name. 
We  saw  it  in  a  paper  that  had  his  picture, 
with  black  all  round  it,  too.77 

"  Ah,  yes,77  said  the  father,  himself  look- 
ing very  grave.  "  Remember  that  name, 
children.  He  was  a  true  man  ;  the  young- 
est and  greatest  hero  of  the  war,  thus  far.77 

"How  old  was  he?77  asked  Roger. 

"Tell  us  about  him,  will  you,  papa?77 
asked  Maedy,  seating  herself  on  her  father's 
knee. 

"  I  was  reading  an  account  of  his  life 
this  morning.  He  was  a  splendid  young 
man,  only  twenty-three  years  old.  I  re- 
member hearing  about  him  and  his  Chicago 
"  Zouaves77  some  years  ago,  when  they 
made  a  tour  through  the  North,  and  as- 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  75 

tonished  the  public  by  their  wonderful 
drill,  and  their  quick  movements;  And 
this  last  company,  raised  in  New  York, 
are  said  to  be  real  fighting  men.  At  their 
quarters,  instead  of  coming  down  stairs, 
many  of  them  let  themselves  down  by  a 
rope  from  the  window.  They're  firemen, 
you  know.  Roger,  hand  me  that  paper.  I 
think  you  can  mostly  understand  what  it 
says  of  him.  You  ought  to  know  some- 
thing about  the  foremost  young  man  of  the 
war.  I  can  remember  no  truer  specimen 
of  a  Christian  American  youth  than  Elmer 
Ellsworth.  "When  you  get  tired,  children, 
say  so,  and  I'll  stop.  It  seems  he  was  a 
poor  boy,  born  in  New  York  State,  of  vir- 
tuous parentage.     This  narrative  says : 

"  Little  is  known  of  bis  earlier  years,  more  than  that 
he  went  to  the  district  school,  and  showed  himself  dili- 
gent in  study,  though  not  more  forward  than  his  com- 
panions. All  the  '  schooling  '  he  ever  had  was  during 
hi-  early  boyhood.  At  home  he  was  an  obedient,  duti- 
ful son,  subject  to  his  parents,  proving  the  truth  of  the 
maxim,  'he  who  would  command,  must  first  learn  to 
This  docile  spirit  was  the  more  remarkable  in  a 
boy  naturally  bold  and  resolute.    He  showed  an  eager 


76  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

love  for  reading,  and  spent  his  leisure  hours  with  what- 
ever books  he  could  command,  preferring  histories  to 
ail  others,  and  gratifying  his  boyish  taste  with  accounts 
of  wars,  insurrections  and  battles.  As  the  lad  grew 
into  the  youth,  his  physical  powers  developed  remark- 
ably. He  excelled  his  associates  in  muscular  feats,  and 
seemed  never  so  happy  as  when  testing  his  sure  eye 
and  supple  limbs.  These  vigorous  capacities  were 
governed  by  as  generous  a  spirit  as  ever  lived  in  a 
young  man's  breast  ;  nor  were  they  always  exercised 
for  mere  amusement.  The  timid,  persecuted  ones, 
such  as  are  to  be  found  in  every  little  school  commu- 
nity, had  a  defender  in  young  Ellsworth,  and  the  bul- 
lies of  the  neighborhood  found  him  to  be  a  terror  to 
evil-doers.  "With  this  disposition  he  naturally  became 
the  leader  of  his  companions.'' 

"  Bully  for  him  !  "  exclaimed  Roger,  al- 
ways earnest,  if  not  elegant,  in  his  praise. 

"  As  his  parents  were  far  from  rich,  young  Ellsworth 
determined,  while  still  a  boy,  to  take  care  of  himself. 
We  first  hear  of  him  at  work  as  clerk  in  a  dry-goods 
store.  But  he  wanted  to  be  a  printer,  and  soon  after 
found  a  situation  at  the  press  in  Boston,  Mass..  where 
his  studiousness  and  kindly  disposition  won  the  respect  of 
his  associates.  He  next  went  to  Chicago,  still  plying 
his  trade,  but  ever  desiring  a  higher  sphere  of  life. 
More  than  anything  else,  he  wanted  to  be  a  soldier, 
and  actually  made  application  at  this  time  to  the  War 
Department  for  employment,  but  failed  for  lack  of  in- 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  77 

flucnce  and  money.  But  he  could  not  be  subdued  by 
disappointment.  If  he  was  bom  a  soldier,  he  believed 
he  would  surely  find  an  opening  for  himself  in  the 
ranks  of  the  army.  Meantime  an  opportunity  oc- 
curred for  him  to  study  law,  and  he  gave  himself  to 
{hat  monotonous  work  with  all  the  fervor  of  his  ardent 
BOoL  '  His  life,'  says  one  writer,  '  was  a  miracle  of  en- 
durance and  fortitude.  He  read  law  with  great  assi- 
duity, and  supported  himself  by  copying  in  the  hours 
that  should  have  been  devoted  to  recreation.  He  had 
limes,  and  very  few  friends.  Not  a  soul  beside 
himself  and  the  baker  who  gave  him  his  daily  loaf, 
knew  how  he  was  living.  During  all  that  time  he 
never  slept  in  a  bed — never  ate  with  his  friends  at 
a  social  board.' 

"  But  his  soldierly  genius  still  asserted  itself.  He 
joined  a  military  company,  and  we  find  him  at  this 
time  deep  in  the  study  of  tactics — impelled,  perhaps, 
by  a  presentiment  of  the  brilliant  career  before  him. 
He  scon  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  wisest,  best- 
drilled  soldier  in  the  city,  and  from  that  to  the  mili- 
tary leadership  of  his  associates,  the  step  was  easy, 
ne  assumed  this  position  in  May,  1859,  when  but 
twenty-one  years  old,  and  immediately  began  to  raise 
a  company  on  the  model  of  the  Algerine  Zouaves. 
With  no  aids  but  a  text  book  and  his  own  firm 
will,  he  mastered  these  peculiar  tactics,  adapted  the 
manual  to  the  usage  of  American  soldiery,  and  mar- 
shalled his  company,  to  which  he  gave  himself  with 
untiring  patience,  and  which  uroved  later  to  be  formed 


78  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

of  men  whom  '  the  nation  delighted  to  honor.'  One  of 
his  friends  says  of  his  capacity  as  commander  :  '  His 
discipline  was  very  severe  and  rigid,  not  in  training 
merely,  but  as  related  to  the  moral  habits  of  the  men. 
They  were  degraded  or  expelled  immediately  when  any 
inclination  to  vice  was  noticeable.  He  struck  from  the 
rolls  at  one  time  twelve  of  his  best  men  for  breaking 
the  rule  of  total  abstinence.  His  moral  power  over 
them  was  absolute.  I  believe  any  one  of  them  would 
have  died  for  him.' 

"  Much  of  this  power  resulted,  doubtless,  from  the 
religious  character  of  young  Ellsworth.  He  had  been 
a  Sunday-school  boy  ;  he  was  now  a  resolute,  though 
a  humble,  unassuming  Christian.  The  knightly  spirit, 
the  noble  life,  the  genial  manner,  could  not  fail  to  win 
the  regard  of  his  comrades  ;  yet,  underlying  these,  they 
were  conscious  of  a  stronger  force  controlling  both 
him  and  them — the  strength  of  a  soul  that  walks  with 
God. 

';  Later,  when  the  company  made  the  tour  of  exhibi- 
tion, it  was  everywhere  received  with  admiration.  Its 
quick,  singular  movements,  its  precise  obedience,  its 
thorough  drill,  excited  the  wonder  of  beholders  ;  and 
Colonel  Ellsworth  received  the  applause  justly  his  due 
as  founder  of  the  American  Zouave  system.  Thus  an 
obscure  youth,  who  had  never  seen  a  military 
academy,  with  no  advantages  but  those  of  a  common 
school,  hewed  his  own  path  to  honor. 

£i  The  martial  interest  awakened  by  this  tour  was 
not  without  its  use  to  the  nation,  so  soon  to  be  dis- 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.  79 

turbed  in  its  peaceful  pursuits  by  the  trumpet  of 
war. 

••  At  the  close  of  this  memorable  journey  the  young 
Captain  resumed  his  law  studies  in  the  office  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  at  Springfield,  111.  Here  the  future 
President  and  the  future  hero  of  our  country  labored 
in  their  humble  sphere,  from  whence  they  were  to 
go  forth  and  win  a  nation's  regard.  While  under 
Mr.  Lincoln's  affectionate  care,  Ellsworth  planned, 
and  put  somewhat  in  shape,  a  project  he  had  con- 
ceived of  a  Bureau  of  Militia  of  the  United  States. 
The  thing  was  commended  by  high  authorities,  but 
remained  unfinished — a  noble,  though  fragmentary  evi- 
dence of  his  power.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Lincoln's 
election,  Ellsworth  again  applied  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment, but  was  again  denied  admittance  by  the  Secre- 
tary. He  was  a  member  of  the  Presidential  party  in 
its  memorable  journey  to  Washington,  and  no  one  who 
then  enjoyed  his  genial  companionship  will  soon  forget 
'  the  life  of  the  company,'  nor  the  innate  courtesy  that 
thought  first  of  others,  and  last  of  self.  After  the 
inauguration  he  was  offered  the  position  of  Second 
Lieutenant  in  the  Regular  Army.  At  last  the  desire 
of  his  life  was  gratified  ;  but  the  golden  apple  broke  in 
ashes  when  it  was  grasped.  No  portion  of  Ellsworth's 
life  was  so  painful  as  this  ;  for  the  regulars,  envious 
and  fearful  of  his  superiority,  treated  the  young  militia- 
man with  a  discourtesy  that  iuflicted  upon  his  sensitive 
spirit  a  pain  it  had  never  endured  before.  Among  the 
evils  under  the  sun  none  are  sadder  than  that  cruelty 


SO  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

committed  daily — the  wounding  of  high  and  delicate 
souls  by  base  ones.  At  the  opening  of  our  civil  war, 
the  young  Lieutenant  proposed  to  resign  his  position 
and  raise  a  regiment  of  volunteers.  His  offer  was 
eagerly  accepted,  and  within  twenty  days  he  returned 
from  Xew  York  with  a  thousand  and  twenty  hardy 
firemen  eager  for  battle.  "We  know  of  no  stronger 
evidence  of  Ellsworth's  popularity  than  the  rapid 
raising  of  this  regiment.  *  I  hope  God  will  take  care 
of  you,  Elmer.'  said  his  mother,  as  she  bade  him  a  last 
1  good-by.'  '  He  will,'  replied  the  Colonel.  '  He  has 
led  me  into  this  work,  and  He  will  take  care  of  me.' 
He  was  ordered  to  join  an  expedition  formed  to  capture 
Alexandria.  News  received  from  that  city  caused 
Ellsworth  to  suppose  the  undertaking  might  prove  a 
bloody  one,  and  he  prepared  for  it- accordingly.  But 
his  brief  address  that  day  to  his  men  shows  the  natural 
tenderness  of  his  heart.  '  Go  to  your  tents,'  he  said,  in 
conclusion, '  lie  down  and  take  your  rest  till  two  o'clock, 
when  the  boat  will  arrive,  and  we  go  forward  to  victory 
or  death.  "When  we  reach  our  destination,  do  nothing 
to  shame  the  regiment ;  show  the  enemy  that  you  are 
men  as  well  as  soldiers.  I  would  we  could  overcome 
them  with  kindness.'  This  from  the  bravest  of  Zou- 
aves— a  class  of  soldiers  whose  courage  has  been  ex- 
celled only  by  their  ferocity ! 

At  midnight,  before  starting  on  the  journey,  he  wrote 
the  following  words  to  his  parents.  May  they  sink 
into  every  American  heart ! 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  81 

Camp  ojIncoln,  May  23,  1861. 

My  Dear  Father  and  Mother: 

regiment  is  ordered  to  cross  the  river  to-night. 
We  have  no  means  of  knowing  what  reception  we 
sluill  meet  with  ;  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  our 
entrance  into  the  city  of  Alexandria  will  be  hotly  con- 
tested, as  [  am  just  informed  that  a  large  force  has 
arrived  there  to-day.  Should  this  happen,  my  dear 
parents,  it  may  be  my  lot  to  be  injured  in  some  way. 
Whatever  may  happen,  cherish  the  consolation  that  I 
was  engaged  in  the  performance  of  a  sacred  duty  ;  and 
to-night,  thinking  over  the  probabilities  of  to-morrow, 
and  the  occurrences  of  the  past,  I  am  perfectly  content 
to  accept  whatever  my  fortune  may  be,  confident  that 
lie  who  noteth  even  the  fall  of  the  sparrow  will  have 
some  purpose  even  in  tHfe  fate  of  one  like  me.  My 
darling  and  beloved  parents,  good-by ;  God  bless,  and 
protect,  and  care  for  you.  Elmer. 

"The  troops  entered  Alexandria  next  day  unmo- 
lested, the  rebels  having  hastily  fled.  As  Ellsworth, 
with  a  squad  of  men,  was  en  route  to  the  telegraph 
office,  to  prevent  the  news  of  their  entrance  from 
spreading  southward,  his  eye  caught  sight  of  the  rebel 
banner  floating  from  the  roof  of  the  Marshall  House. 
'  That  flag  must  come  down !'  he  exclaimed,  and  entered 
the  building,  attended  by  a  Zouave  and  two  other 
friends.  On  their  way  up  stairs  they  met  a  man  who 
pretended  to  know  nothing  about  the  flag,  being,  as  he 
said,  '  only  a  boarder.'  Having  secured  the  traitors' 
ensign,  they  were  returning,  when  the  same  man  con- 
fronted them  with  a  loaded  gun.  He  was  the  keeper 
of  the  house — a  secessionist  named  Jackson — the  man 
who,  report  says,  cut  the  ears  from  John  Brown's  dead 


82  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

body  a  few  years  before,  and  preserved  them  in  spirits, 
as  trophies  of  the  slave  power.  The  wretched  man 
fired  upon  Ellsworth,  and  the  ball  pierced  his  brave 
young  heart.  He  died  instantly.  Jackson  then  aimed 
at  the  Zouave,  Francis  Brownell,  but  the  latter  parried 
the  gun,  discharged  his  own  weapon  in  his  enemy's 
face,  and  pinned  liim  to  the  floor  with  his  bayonet. 
This  brave  young  man  could  not  save  his  colonel's  life, 
but  he  instantly  did  his  utmost  to  avenge  it.  The 
little  party  made  all  possible  exertion  to  recall  the 
spirit  that  a  moment  before  had  inspired  them  with  its 
presence,  but  in  vain.  The  two  men  who  had  just  con- 
fronted one  another,  were  gone  to  face  their  Judge. 

"  The  announcement  of  the  soldier's  death  produced 
unutterable  sorrow.  For  a  time  the  news  was  pru- 
dently withheld  from  his  Zouaves.  When  at  last  it 
was  told  them,  their  amazement  and  grief  were  beyond 
control.  Exclamations  of  love,  praise,  lamentation, 
and  oaths  of  revenge  went  up  like  the  mingled  chords 
of  a  requiem,  from  the  bowed  ranks.  It  is  said, 
that  the  venerable  father  of  the  dead  was  in  the  tele- 
graph office  when  the  tidings  touched  the  wires,  and 
first  divined  the  sorrow  in  store  for  him  from  the  tears 
of  the  operator  as  they  fell  upon  the  undeciphered  mes- 
sage. The  parents'  hearts  are  broken  by  the  blow,  and 
not  theirs  alone.  The  young  soldier  was  shortly  to  be 
married  to  one  who  sits  apart,  hoping  no  longer  for  his 
promised  return. 

'•'  Among  those  bereaved  by  this  calamity  there  is  no 
sincerer  mourner  than  our  honored  President.     A  gen- 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  83 

t Ionian  who  saw  him  on  the  day  of  Ellsworth's  death, 
Bays  the  President's  emotions  were  such  that  he  could 
not  at  first  command  himself  to  speak.  When  he 
did,  it  was  with  warmth  on  the  virtues  of  the  dead 
brave,  and  with  regret  at  his  rashness  ;  '  but/  he 
added,  '  it  only  shows  the  heroic  spirit  that  animates 
our  soldiers  from  high  to  low  in  this  righteous  cause.' 
<1  not  dwell  here  on  the  mourning  of  the  people 
tidings  vibrated  from  the  eastern  to  the  western 
shore.  As  in  Chicago,  where  '  every  man  clenched  his 
teeth.'  in  the  resolve  to  sustain  the  war,  and  avenge 
this  death,  so  was  it  throughout  the  North.  Amid 
the  tolling  of  bells,  and  the  mournful  emblems  that 
drape  our  cities,  thousands  are  springing  up  to  fight  at 
the  battle  cry  of '  Ellsworth  1 '  " 


Chapter  VI. 


TnE     COAST,     THE     RELAY     HOUSE,     AND 
FORTRESS     MONROE. 

"Mother,"  said  Franklin,  a  day  or  two 
after  the  reading  of  Ellsworth's  career, 
"  what  does  '  blockade  '  mean  *?  I  hear 
men  on  the  street  talking  of  '  the  block- 
ade.'    What  kind  of  a  concern  is  it  ?  " 

"  Ah,  it's  something  the  rebels  regard 
with  great  concern,"  said  his  mother,  smil- 
ing. "If  you  find  the  word  in  the  dic- 
tionary, Frank,  you'll  remember  it." 

"  *  Blockade/'7  read  the  boy,  after  a 
moment's  search;  "  'the  shutting  up  of  a 
place  by  surrounding  it  with  hostile  troops 
or  ships,  or  by  posting  them  in  such  man- 
ner as  to  prevent  escape,  and  hinder  all 
supplies  from  entering,  with  a  view  to 
compel  a  surrender  by  hunger  and  want.' 
Has  our  Government  blockaded  the 
South  in  that  way,  mother?" 
84 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  85 

"  Yes,  it  is  effective  now,  I  believe,  on 
the  coast ;  that  is,  ships  cannot  pass  in  and 
out  of  Southern  ports,  from  South  Carolina 
down,  except  at  great  risk  of  being  cap- 
tured by  the  vessels  of  our  navy." 

"  But,  mother,"  exclaimed  Roger,  "  I 
should  think  they'd  need  all  the  vessels  in 
the  world — a  great  string  of  'em,  miles  and 
miles  long — to  shut  in  all  the  South. 
How  did  they  ever  get  enougn  ?" 

"  Oh,  our  navy  is  small  as  yet ;  it  hasn't 
a  hundred  vessels,  all  told ;  the  blockade, 
therefore,  isn't  made  effective  in  that  way. 
But  the  ships  are  stationed  near  the  import- 
ant points  of  the  Southern  coast;  by  the 
harbors  and  channels  where  ships  can  pass. 
Tell  me  some  of  the  seaports  in  that  region, 
can  you?     What  is  one  of  them  ?" 

Roger  hesitated. 

"  Beginning  with  South  Carolina,  what 
city  lies  on  the  coast  ?  " 

"  Richmond?"  suggested  Roger. 

"  Richmond  ! "  said  Franklin.  "  Why, 
Roger,  I  believe  what  you  say  is  true, 
that    your    geography   goes  in   at     your 


S6  THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

eyes,  and  comes  out  by  your  ears  !  Charles- 
ton— don't  you  remember? — then  comes 
Savannah.  Any  in  Florida,  mother? — oh, 
yes,  Jacksonville  and  St.  Augustine  ;  then 
Mobile,  New  Orleans, — " 

"  New  Orleans,  I  know  that : n  inter- 
rupted Roger.  "  Old  Walker  told  us  about 
General  Jackson  being  there ;  he  and  the 
black  folks,  in  a  fight  with  the  English, 
piled  up  cotton  bales,  and  got  behind  them 
when  they  fired  on  the  enemy :  they  had 
no  fortification,  you  see,  so  they  made 
one  out  of  the  cotton  bales." 

"  Yes,"  said  Franklin  ;  "  then  what  is  the 
next  port,  mother  ?  In  Texas  it  must  be— 
oh,  I  know,  Galveston.  But  if  the  Govern- 
ment keeps  watch  only  at  these  places, 
won't  the  rebels  send  their  ships  out  of 
others — little  quiet  ones,  where  they 
wouldn't  be  noticed  ?" 

"  They  do  so,  sometimes.  But  ships, 
you  know,  when  not  sailing  on  the  seas, 
must  lie  in  a  harbor,  otherwise  they  might 
be  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks,  or 
stranded     in   the   surf.      The    cities    you 


TIIE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  87 

mentioned  have  harbors  where  vessels  can 
anehor ;  elsewhere  on  the  coast  there  is 
peril  of  shipwreck,  particularly  off  North 
Carolina." 

"  Why  ;  is  that  a  bad  region  for  ships  ?" 
asked  Frank. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  many  a  vessel  has  gone 
down  off  Cape  Hatteras." 

"  I've  heard  Jack  Roper,"  said  Roger, 
"  that  old  sailor  down  in  the  village, 
tell  a  long  yarn  about  being  '  off  Hat- 
teras.'  7Twas  in  winter,  and  they  thought 
every  minute  the  ship  would  go  to  pieces. 
A  man  couldn't  stay  on  deck,  he  said,  the 
wind  blew  such  a  hurricane — c  a  livin'  gale,' 
he  said." 

"But,  mother,"  said  Franklin,  return- 
ing to  the  subject  of  the  blockade,  "  where 
does  our  Government  get  money  to  buy 
all  the  ships,  and  pay  the  sailors  and 
soldiers?  I  thought  the  rebels  took  so 
much  money  and  other  things  away  from 
us  while  Buchanan  was  President." 

"  Yes,  they  did  take  millions  of  dollars' 
worth,  and  we  can't  defend  ourselves  nearly 


88  THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

so  well,  on  account  of  these  losses.  Some 
money  is  raised  by  taxes  that  we  pay 
on  property ;  there  are  other  ways,  too, 
of  getting  it.  But  the  government,  and 
better  still,  the  people,  are  all  the  more 
active  just  now  because  their  need  is  great. 
There  are  twenty  million  loyal  Americans, 
Frank,  determined  to  defend  their  country  ; 
and  within  the  last  three  or  four  months 
they've  given,  of  their  own  free  will,  thirty- 
two  million  dollars — as  I  read  yesterday — 
to  carry  on  the  war  ;  therefore  I  suppose 
it  is  safe,  don't  you?  " 

"Thirty-two  millions!"  repeated  both 
boys  at  once,  for  they  had  never  heard  of 
such  an  amount  of  money. 

"I  can't  think  how  much  that  is," 
said  Roger,  looked  very  puzzled.  "How  did 
they  give  it,  mother*?  If  I  wanted  to  help 
the  country  with  money,  I  shouldn't  know 
how  to  do  it/"' 

.  "  There  are  several  ways.  Many  of  the 
State  Legislatures,  for  instance,  have  voted 
a  supply  of  so  much  to  the  General  Gov- 
ernment, and  then  the   money  was  raised 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  89 

by  the  inhabitants  throughout  the  State. 
In  the  large  cities  and  towns  meetings  have 
been  held,  where  men  subscribed  sums 
for  regiments  going  to  the  wTar,  or  for  other 
expenses  of  the  great  cause.  If  you  had 
money  to  give,  Roger,  you  could  dispose  of 
it  at  such  a  meeting,  or  you  might  send  a 
draft  for  the  amount  to  one  of  the  officials 
at  Washington." 

"  Well,"  said  Roger,  with  a  comical  air, 
"  my  few  thousands  would  look  so  small 
beside  those  thirty-two  millions,  that  I'm 
modest  about  sending  them  in.  I'll  wait,  I 
guess,  till  I've  made  a  little  more  money. 
Heigh-ho !  there's  Daniel  gets  a  pile  of  dol- 
lars every  month  for  soldiering.  If  I  was 
a  drummer-boy,  now," — 

"Isn't  it  time  for  another  letter  from 
him  ?  "  asked  Frank. 

For  a  long  time  had  indeed  passed  since 
the  family  had  heard  at  length  from  the 
absent  brother.  Once  there  came  a  note 
from  the  Relay  House,  between  Baltimore 
and  Washington.  He  was  then  in  General 
Butler's  command,  and  mentioned  of  an  at- 


90  THE    BROTHER    SOLDI: 

tempt  the  rebels  made  to  kill  our  soldiers  by 
poisoning  their  food.  "  You  would  laugh/7 
he  wrote,  "at  some  of  the  discoveries  we 
make  here  every  day.  Our  business  is  to 
search  each  train  for  contraband  articles  or 
persons.  Sometimes  we  find  a  heavily 
dressed  female,  with  calm  face  and  large 
hoops,  alone  in  the  car.  <  What  will  you 
do  with  her,'  is  the  question  "that  naturally 
agitates  our  minds.  At  last,  after  some 
uneasy  reflection,  the  lady  is  politely 
requested  to  rise,  in  the  hope  that  by  so 
doing  she  may  drop  some  of  her  smuggling  ; 
which  she  does  sometimes,  but  not  always. 
In  the  next  car  sits  a  man  who  makes  a 
great  bluster  about  the  search.  He  is  care- 
fully examined,  and  very  politely  requested 
to  turn  his  pockets  inside  out,  when  down 
fall  half  a  dozen  letters  directed  to  people 
south  of  the  Potomac,  and  for  that  rea- 
son, confiscated.  When  the  passengers  are 
all  searched,  the  baggage  takes  its  turn,  just 
as  if  it  were  in  the  hands  of  custom  house 
officers.  Here  is  a  small  red  trunk,  marked 
"Mary  Birkitt."     Being  merely  a  common 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  91 

wooden  receptacle,  such  as  any  country  girl 
might  claim,  it  hasn't  a  suspicious  look  ;  but 
since  no  Mary  Birkitt  appears,  the  trunk 
must  be  opened  without  her  consent.  On 
the  top  we  find  a  clean  pair  of  under- 
sleeves,  and  some  other  '  chicken  fixing,' 
then  a  dress,  then  two  million  percus- 
sion caps !  Mistress  Mary,  quite  con- 
trary to  her  expectations,  waits  in  vain  for 
her  little  trunk,  while  the  caps  go  off  on 
Union  muskets. 

"  Colonel  Jones  was  going  through  a  car, 
on  the  look-out,  once,  when  he  found  a 
lunch  basket  containing  sandwiches  and 
gingerbread.  While  he  wTas  *  seeing  what 
he  could  see/  the  conductor  came  up  and 
remarked  that  the  old  lady  who  owned  the 
basket  had  just  stepped  into  the  forward 
car.  Well,  if  it  belonged  to  an  old  lady, 
the  Colonel  wouldn't  disturb  it ;  so  he 
simply  took  hold  of  the  handle  to  see  how 
much  the  thing  weighed.  Not  being  quite 
satisfied  with  his  experiment,  he  looked 
again,  and  found  half  a  peck  of  brass  but- 
tons en  their  way  to  rebel  uniforms." 


92  TEE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

In  the  evening  the  family  were  again 
l-ejoiced  by  another  letter  from  Daniel  ; 
the  more  so  because  the  parents  had  latterly 
seen  news  of  a  disaster  which  they  tried  to 
conceal  from  the  children,  but  which  added 
to  the  anxiety  they  constantly  felt  for  their 
boy.  Great  was  the  delight,  therefore, 
when  the  father  unfolded  a  closely  written 
sheet,  and  read  to  the  eager  circle  Daniel's 
letter.     The  main  part  read  as  follows : 

Fortress  Monroe,  June  — ,  1SG1. 
Mr  Dear  Ones,  Largs  and  Small  : 

I  am  glad  to  have  a  little  leisure  again  in  which  to 
write  something  more  than  the  scraps  you  have  lately 
received  from  me.  Our  General  is  a  real  Yankee ; 
he  is  always  ahead,  and  has  the  Tankee  faculty  of 
working  and  keeping  others  busy.  You  read,  perhaps. 
of  the  way  he  took  Baltimore — marching  his  nine 
hundred  men  quietly  to  Federal  Hill  at  night,  and  pro- 
claiming to  the  amazed  people  his  occupation  of  the 
city  in  an  extra  the  following  morning !  From  Balti- 
more he  came  to  this  place,  which  is  at  the  mouth  of 
the  James — farther  south  than  I  ever  dreamed  of  going 
till  a  few  months  ago.  "When  our  men  left  the  Belay 
House,  I  staid  behind,  with  half  a  dozen  others,  detailed 
for  a  job  ;  and  later  we  came  up  with  the  Massachusetts 
— th,  in  which  I  found  some  of  my  college  friends. 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  93 

They  urged  me  to  stay  with  them,  and  finding  the 
change  would  be  to  my  advantage,  I  concluded  at  last 
to  make  it,  and  in  that  way  I  came  here,  still  under 
General  Butler.  It's  a  great  wonder  to  me  that  the 
"  rebs  "  didn't  get  this  '  Freedom  Fort,'  as  the  darkies 
call  it,  so  near  Eichmond  as  it  is,  and  the  key  to 
North  Carolina.  But  'twas  a  providential  thing  for  us 
that  they  didn't.  When  Butler  cane  down  here,  he 
went  straight  to  work,  as  usual.  We  hadn't  enough  ' 
water  in  the  fort,  so  he  ordered  the  completion  of 
a  half  made  artesian  well ;  and,  meantime,  water  was 
sent  us  in  casks  from  Baltimore.  He  has  a  plan  started 
for  a  railroad  from  the  wharf  to  the  Fort,  to  save  roll- 
ing up  our  fodder  ;  and  has  already  built  a  bake-house, 
so  that  we  don't  live  altogether  on  hard  tack.  As  he 
was  short  of  horses,  he  sent  for  nine  of  his  own,  winch 
he  uses  for  public  service.  He  found  that  whiskey  was 
doing  immense  harm  among  officers  and  men  ;  and  as 
soon  as  this  was  fully  ascertained,  he  destroyed  every 
drop  he  could  discover,  and  then  had  a  talk  with  his 
officers,  whom  he  persuaded  to  join  him  in  the  "  total 
abstinence  "  rule.  As  this  was  done  simply  for  the  good 
of  his  men,  we  all  think  more  of  our  General  than  ever. 
Whether  we  like  it  or  not,  we're  all  temperance  men 
now.  They  tell,  by  the  way,  a  droll  story  of  one  fellow 
here  who  used  to  imbibe  freely.  It  has  been  the  cus- 
tom, when  any  "  secesh  "  were  taken,  to  administer  the 
oath  and  let  them  go.  One  day  a  scouting  party 
brought  in  a  rattlesnake,  and  tke»question  arose,  "  "What 
will  you  do  with  him  ?  "    "  Boys,"  said  our  tipsy  friend, 


94  THE   BROTITETl    SOLDIEBS. 

slowly  turning  himself  over,  ';  what  do  you  want  to 
wake  us  all  up  for?  "Why  don't  you  swear  him  in 
and  let  him  go  ?  " 

The  fort  is  pleasant  enough  inside.  Gardens,  trees, 
a  nice  old  brick  house  and  a  chapel,  would  give  it 
a  homelike  air,  but  for  the  great  guns  in  the  wall,  and 
other  warlike  appearances.  ^Ye  have  the  most  com- 
fortable quarters  here  that  I  have  found  thus  far.  The 
barracks  are  clean  and  airy,  and  our  fare  is  good.  So 
you  have  small  occasion  at  present,  dear  mother,  to  be 
anxious  about  my  condition.  In  summer  time,  they 
say  crowds  of  people  resort  hither  to  walk  on  the  par- 
apet. I  often  go  down  myself  to  the  Sea  Battery, 
that  looks  Northward,  and  watch  the  waves  as  they 
strike  against  the  walls,  like  messengers,  as  I  fancy, 
from  our  own  shores,  bringing  good  tidings  and  knock- 
ing for  admittance. 

You  heard,  perhaps,  of  the  slaves  that  came  to  us  for 
protection,  soon  after  we  occupied  the  fort.  They 
gave  themselves  up  to  our  pickets,  saying  that  their 
masters  intended  to  send  them  away  from  their  families 
to  work  on  fortifications  in  North  Carolina.  Our 
General  put  them  to  work  in  our  fortification,  with  the 
remark  that  he  should  "  keep  them  as  contraband  of 
war  ;"  and  since  that  day  no  one  here  speaks  of  a  negro 
but  as  a  "  contraband."  The  phrase  "  contraband  of 
war,"  Frank,  Koger,  Maedy,  means  any  article  the 
enemy  are  not  allowed  to  keep — what  will  certainly  be 
captured  when  capture  is  possible.  Such  articles  in- 
clude arms,  powder,  provisions,  public  property,  and  now, 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  95 

under  Butler's  rendering,  slaves.  Since  the  first  "  con- 
trabands" came  over,  hundreds  more  have  followed, 
and  if  they  keep  coming  at  the  present  rate,  I 
don't  know  where  we  can  stow  them  all.  We  asked 
one  of  them,  "  how  many  more  were  on  their  way?  " 

••  A  good  many,"  he  answered,  "  an'  if  we's  not  sent 
back,  dey'll  be  comin'  long,  'fore  to-morrow  night." 

'•  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  "  we  inquired. 

"  0,  dey'll  understan'"  said  the  old  fellow,  "if  we's 
not  sent  back,  dey'll  know  we's  'mong  our  fren's ;  fur 
ef  d2  massa  see  us  we  gets  sent  right  back,  sure." 

The  men  were  kept,  and  true  enough,  forty  or  fifty 
more  came  in.  As  I  write  I  hear  them  at  their  work 
near  by,  singing  a  favorite  chorus  : 

"  "Wake  up,  snakes,  pelicans,  and  Seshers, 
Don't  yon  hear  'um  comin'  ?  — 
Wake  Tip  I  till  you  !  Git  up  Jefferson  ! 
Bobolishion's  comin' — Bob-o-lish-i-on." 

One  of  the  officers  was  humming  "Dixie  "  the  other 
day.  when  his  contraband  servant  interrupted  him,  say- 
ing : 

"  We's  gone  done  singin'  dat  ar  song,  Massa." 

"  Why  ?"  asked  the  officer. 

Sambo  was  confused  for  a  moment,  and  replied  hes- 
itatingly, "  Well,  it  don't  b'long  to  my  profession,  Sah, 
dat's  all.  I  s'pose  Dixie's  down  in  Norfolk, — don't 
wish  we  was  dar,  nohow." 

Lately  a  regular  system  of  work  has  been  organized 
tor  the  poor  creatures,  and  they  prove  obedient  and 
cheerful  at  their  tasks. 


96  THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

They  are  good  friends  to  us  soldiers ;  though  how 
they  ever  became  so  is  more  than  I  can  tell,  for  they 
heard  little  praise  of  us  from  their  masters  ;  but  I've  yet 
to  see  a  black  man  that  wishes  well  to  the  Rebellion. 
One  of  our  boys  was  lately  in  Boston  on  a  furlough, 
when  a  negro  accosted  him,  and  inquired  after  his 
health.  At  first  the  soldier  didn't  recognize  his  sable 
friend,  but,  upon  thinking  a  moment,  he  remembered  to 
have  seen  that  same  face  bending  over  him  as  he  lay 
wounded  in  Pratt  St.,  Baltimore.  It  seems  the  negro's 
wife,  a  servant,  saw  the  riot  from  her  master's  house. 
She  tore  her  own  clothes  into  rags  to  stanch  the  flow 
of  loyal  blood,  and  threw  them  out  the  window  to  her 
husband,  who  took  them  with  some  water  to  the  injured 
man.  There  are  good,  though  humble,  Samaritans  on 
the  highways  still. 

How  this  '•  contraband  "  business  Will  end.  no  one 
can  tell.  It  is  making  great  commotion  among  the 
"rebs"  at  present.  One  of  them,  Col.  Mallory  by 
name,  came  here  and  asked  our  General  to  return  his 
"  contented r'  slaves.  Butler  said  to  him  :  "  You  hold 
that  negro  slaves  are  property,  and  that  Virginia  is  no 
longer  a  part  of  the  United  States  ?"' 

"  I  do,  sir,''  replied  the  Colonel. 

'•You  are  a  lawyer,  sir/'  continued  the  General. 
"  and  I  want  to  know  if  you  claim  that  the  Fugitive 
Slave  Act  of  the  United  States  is  binding  over  foreign 
nations,  and  if  a  foreign  nation  uses  this  kind  of  pro- 
perty to  injure  the  United  States,  if  that  species  of 
property  ought  not  to  be  regarded  as  contraband  ?  " 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS  97 

The 'Colonel  "wasn't  prepared  to  answer,"  as  the 
darkies  say,  and  withdrew  in  silence. 

But  I  have  said  nothing,  as  yet,  of  what  I  intended 
to  write  of;  and  it  is,  indeed,  not  a  pleasant  thing  to 
mention.  To-day  is  a  very  gloomy  one  in  the  fort, 
for  we  have  experienced  a  defeat ;  the  first  one  that  has 
crossed  my  path  thus  far,  and  I  hope  from  my  heart  'twill 
be  the  last.  {  Let  me  tell  you  the  truth,  so  far  as  I  know 
it,  about  the  fights  at  Little  and  Big  Bethel.  Our  loss 
was  not  large  in  numbers — sixteen  killed,  sixty-five 
wounded — but  great  in  the  loss  of  our  foremost  man. 
It  seems  that  a  short  time  ago,  a  contraband,  named 
George  Scott,  came  to  Major  Winthrop,  the  favorite 
officer  of  the  fort,  and  reported  that  the  rebels  had  in- 
trenched themselves  at  two  points  between  us  and 
Yorktown.%  The  Major  reconnoitred  with  his  colored 
guide,  and  found  the  statement  to  be  true.  Our  Gen- 
eral has  hitherto  been  restricted  by  Government  orders, 
but  as  these  places  were  only  nine  miles  distant,  he  re- 
solved to  attempt  their  capture.  The  plan  of  attack 
was  mainly  entrusted  to  Winthrop,  and  at  dawn  of  day 
(June  10th)  he  set  out  with  his  men,  the  contraband 
Scott  accompanying  them,  and  at  Winthrop's  sug- 
gestion, armed;  he  is  the  first  instance,  I  believe, 
of  a  colored  soldier  in  the  army.  The  troops  reached 
Little  Bethel  by  two  routes,  and  by  a  sad  mis- 
take, they  both  fired,  each  supposing  the  other  to  be 
the  enemy.  The  result  was  dreadful  confusion  and  the 
disclosure  of  our  designs  to  the  enemy.  However,  it  was 
determined  at  daylight  to  go  on  to  Big  Bethel,  as  rein- 


9S  TIIE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

forcements  were  coming  to  the  help  of  our  men.  Here 
they  made  an  attack  without  success  on  the  enemy's 
battery,  and  then  another  which  might  have  won  the  day. 
but  for  a  repetition  of  the  morning's  error.  Colonel 
Townsend  mistook  some  of  our  troops  for  the  rebels. 
He  ordered  a  halt,  with  the  view  of  attacking  the  im- 
aginary foe  ;  but  our  beloved  Major  AVinthrop  did  not 
hear  the  command  ;  full  of  energy  and  enthusiasm,  as 
he  always  was.  lie  pressed  on  cheering  the  few  troops 
attending  him,  till  within  a  few  yards  of  the  rebel  bat- 
tery, when  he  sprang  upon  a  log  to  view  the  position, 
says  one  of  his  comrades,  and  a  ball  struck  his  brain, 
killing  him  in  an  instant.  Such  a  man's  death 
is  a  national  calamity.  I  never  saw  any  one  that  won 
the  love  and  admiration  of  strangers  so  quickly.  He 
belonged  to  a  distinguished  Boston  family,  was  a  young 
man  of  culture,  and  of  religious  principles,  most 
genial  temper,  every  inch  a  nobleman.  Even  his 
enemies  praise  him ;  for  Captain  Levy,  a  rebel  officer 
engaged  in  the  fight,  said  to  a  "  civ"  (our  short  for 
a  man  not  in  the  army),  "If  you'd  had  a  hundred 
men  like  AVinthrop,  and  one  to  lead  when  he  fell, 
I  should  be  a  prisoner  of  war  to-night  in  Fortress 
Monroe."  He  was  among  the  first  to  enlist.  "  For," 
he  said  to  a  friend  before  the  President's  call  for  vol- 
unteers was  issued,  "  I  wish  to  enroll  myself  at  once  in 
the  police  of  the  nation,  and  for  life,  if  the  nation  will 
take  me." 

All  here  who  have  seen  him  during  these  sixteen  days, 
mourn  his  loss  with  unaffected  grief.     The  fort  seems 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  99 

darkened,  bereft  so  suddenly  of  his  bright,  brave  presence. 
After  his  death,  the  troops  retired,  disconsolate  and  panic 
struck,  leaving  a  few  brave  men  remaining  to  care  for 
the  wounded,  which  they  did  nobly,  dragging  them  in 
wagons  with  their  own  hands  nine  miles  back  to  the  fort. 

One  poor  fellow,  Sergeant  Goodfellow,  of  Colonel 
Allen's  regiment,  was  shot  in  the  breast  just  before  the 
fight  ended.  He  handed  his  musket  to  the  next  man, 
and  as  his  comrades  flocked  around  him,  he  covered  his 
wound,  saying :  "  I  guess  I've  got  to  go.  But  oh, 
don't  mind  me,  boys,  go  on  with  the  fight ;  don't  stop 
for  me."  And  thus  urging  on  those  who  paused  to 
support  him,  he  sank  to  the  ground.  Just  then  his 
Colonel  passed,  and  looking  up  he  gasped,  "  Good-by, 
Colonel."  The  comrade  who  told  me  the  incident,  said 
that  Allen's  face  turned  white  as  a  sheet ;  he  bit  his  lips, 
too  much  affected  to  speak,  and  rode  on  to  avenge  the 
soldier's  death. 

Our  gallant  Lieutenant  Greble  won  a  proud  name  for 
himself  before  he  fell.  He  had  charge  of  a  gun,  and  I 
doubt  whether  a  field-piece  ever  did  more  effective  serv- 
ice  in  the  same  space  of  time.  He  fired  constantly  for 
two  hours,  though  left  in  an  open  road  during  part  of 
the  engagement  with  only  his  command  of  eleven  men. 
His  brother  officers  begged  him  to  retreat,  but  he 
would  not  listen  to  them.  When  they  urged  him  to 
take  care  at  least,  and  dodge  the  bullets,  as  they  did, 
he  answered,  "  I  never  dodge,  and  when  I  hear  the 
bugle  calling  a  retreat,  I  shall  go  ;  not  before."  All 
through  the  firing  he  sighted  every  gun  himself,  as 


100      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

calmly  as  if  on  parade,  say  his  men,  and  noticed  the 
effect  of  every  shot  with  his  glass,  while  every  ball, 
went  to  the  spot  it  was  meant  to  hit.  At  last, 
finding  himself  left  with  only  five  men,  he  was  about 
to  cease  his  work,  when  a  ball  struck  him  on  the  temple# 
He  cried,  "  Oh,  my  gun ! :'  and  fell  dead — his  last  thought 
being,  doubtless,  an  apprehension  that  his  faithfully 
served  gun  might  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands. 

Adjutant  Stevens,  of  the  First  Vermont,  tells  an  in- 
teresting tale  of  his  adventures  that  day.  I  give  you 
a  part  of  them  in  nearly  his  own  words  : 

"  Just  as  we  halted  to  start  to  the  rear,  a  rebel 
scoundrel  came  out  of  a  house  and  deliberately  fired 
his  gun  at  us.  This  man,  bear  in  mind,  was  simply  a 
citizen.  The  ball  whizzed  by  me  and  grazed  the  skin  of 
Orderly  Sergeant  Sweet.  After  we  secured  the  ras- 
cally shooter,  I  went  up  to  the  house,  and  found  out 
the  owner's  name,  with  other  information.  On  my  way 
back  I  saw  a  horseman  galloping  toward  me  at  full 
speed.  I  ordered  a  companion  to  cover  him  with  his 
rifle,  and,  revolver  in  hand,  ordered  him  to  dismount 
and  surrender.     He  cried  out,  ;  Who  are  you  V 

"  Answer,  '  Vermont.' 

"  '  Then  raise  your  piece,  Vermont,  I. am  Colonel 
Duryea,  of  the  Zouaves.' 

"  "We  grasped  hands,  and  I  told  him  of  our  late  en- 
counter with  the  rebel,  adding  that  as  a  punishment  for 
shooting  one  of  my  boys,  I  should  like  to  burn  the 
rascal's  house,  which,  by  the  way,  I  had  discovered  in 
exploring,  was  a  fine  one,  elegantly  furnished. 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      101 

"  '  Tour  wish  shall  bo  gratified,'  said  the  Colonel.  <  I 
am  ordered  by  General  Butler  to  burn  every  house 
whose  occupant  or  owner  fires  upon  our  troops.  Burn 
it.' 

"  He  leaped  from  his  horse,  and  I  upon  the  steps  of 
the  house.  By  that  time  three  Zouaves  were  with  me. 
I  ordered  them  to  try  the  door  with  the  butt  of  their 
guns— down  went  the  door,  in  went  we.  Colonel 
Duryea  had  a  match  ready  lighted,  and,  with  the  help 
of  some  clothing  found  in  a  well  packed  traveling  bag 
we  soon  had  a  rousing  fire.  Before  leaving  the 
doomed  house,  I  went  into  the  parlor  in  the  right 
wing  of  the  building.  It  was  perfectly  splendid.  A  rich 
carpet  and  fine  piano,  library,  a  case  of  costly  books, 
carved  sofas,  chairs  with  needle-work  seats,  etagerea  in 
the  corners,  loaded  with  articles  of  taste,  and  on  a  cen- 
tre-table a  Bible  and  a  lady's  portrait.  In  the  dining- 
room  I  found  a  decanter  of  the  best  old  brandy,  which 
I  brought  away  with  me.  As  I  came  up  with  our  rear- 
guard I  saw  a  sight,  the  like  of  which,  I  trust,  never  to 
see  again.  Nine  of  our  men  stretched  on  the  floor  of 
a  house,  where  they  had  just  been  carried,  and  eight  of 
them  mortally  wounded  by  our  own  Iroops—thc  fatal 
mistake  of  the  battle  !  Oh !  the  sight  was  dreadful !  I 
cried  like  a  boy,  and  so  did  many  others,  for  remember 
the  excitement  we  were  in  at  the  time.  I  thought 
immediately  of  my  decanter,  took  a  tin  cup  from  a 
soldier,  filled  it  with  brandy,  and  water  from  his  can- 
teen, and  passed  the  invigorating  liquid  from  one  poor 
boy  to  another.    As  their  pale,  quivering  lips  received 


102      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

it,  I  wiped  the  sweat-drops  of  death  from  their  fore- 
heads. Oh,  how  gratefully  the  poor  fellows  looked  at 
me,  as  they  saw  by  my  uniform  that  the  usually  stem 
officer  was  trying  to  do  the  duty  of  a  hind,  tender- 
hearted woman  for  them.  One  strong  fellow,  wounded 
in  the  head,  and  bloody  as  a  butcher,  soon  rallied 
and  was  able  to  talk  with  me.  Pointing  to  a  comrade, 
he  said  : 

"  '  That  one  stood  at  my  side ;  he  was  my  section  man  ; 
I  saw  his  gun  fly  out  of  his  hands  ;  it  was  struck  by  a 
grape  shot ;  and  a  moment  after  we  both  tumbled  to 
the  ground.' 

4';  I  went  out  and  picked  up  an  Enfield  rifle  nearly  cut 
in  two  by  a  ball. 

" '  That's  his  gun,'  said  he.  "I  saw  it's  owner  die,  and 
brought  the  gun  back  to  camp  as  a  memento  of  that 
dark  day." ' 

"  I  was  not  in  the  action,  but  give  you  the  account  as 
I  gathered  it  from  the  combatants.  I  can't  help  a  keen 
regret  at  the  defeat,  and  understand  now  how  soldiers 
that  won't  flinch  in  battle  will  cometimes  shed  tears 
over  a  repulse.  It  causes  a  feeling  of  mortification  that 
is  all  but  unendurable.  General  Pierce,  commander  of 
the  expedition,  is  almost  crazy  with  sorrow.  He  is  a 
good  man,  but  new  in  his  profession  ;  indeed,  there  were 
no  experienced  officers  on  the  field ;  and  this  lack 
probably  explains  the  whole  disaster.  The  loss  of 
such  promising  men  as  AVinthrop  and  Greble  is  an  in- 
jury we  cannot  soon  repair,  not  to  mention  the  demor- 
alization attending  every  defeat.     Still,  we  have  no 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      103 

thought  of  succumbing-  to  it.  We  arc  now  safe  as  ever 
in  the  fort.  The  rebels,  too,  have  evacuated  Big  Bethel, 
and  have  gained  no  advantage  in  the  contest.  If  our 
disaster  should  result  in  the  employment  of  capable  offi- 
cers, and  the  enlistment  of  more  men  to  guard  the 
nation's  honor,  we  shall  not  have  suffered  in  vain.  One 
thing,  at  least,  cheers  me  in  this  hour  of  despondence. 
As  I  mourn  for  "Winthrop,  I  can  but  remember  the 
glorious  part  our  State — his  State  and  mine — has  taken 
in  this  contest.  Massachusetts  sent  the  first  regiment  to 
Washington  ;  her  blood  spilt  in  Baltimore  was  the  first 
shed  in  the  war  ;  her  men  first  opened  the  pathway 
from  Annapolis  to  Washington  ;  they  were  the  first  to 
invade  Virginia,  and  the  first  to  reinforce  .this  fort ! 
It  is  fitting  that  the  Old  Bay  State  should  march  thus 
in  the  van.  All  have  done  valiantly,  but  all  are  will- 
ing to  follow  her  who  struck  the  first  blow  for  the  Rev- 
olution, and  who  has  ever  led  the  way  in  all  noble  ad- 
vancement. "  God  bless  the  Commonwealth ! "  And 
Rhode  Island  is  hardly  behind  her — the  little  State  that 
the  rebels  predicted  would  be  first  among  us  to  acknowl- 
edge the  Confederacy  !  May  all  like  expectations  be 
equally  realized ! " 

The  rest  of  the  letter  was  filled  with 
messages  and  with  thanks  for  a  certain  box 
that,  after  some  delay,  had  reached  the  Fort 
in  safety. 


Chapter  VII. 


WESTERN'       V  I  R  G  I  X  I  A  . 


For  some  weeks  after  the  "Warrens  heard 
nothing  directly  from  the  war.  ■  Haying 
time  came  on,  with  vacation  for  the  chil- 
dren, and  as  Mr.  Warren  found  much 
difficulty  in  getting  "  extra  hands"  for  the 
mowing  this  year — many  of  the  laborers 
thereabouts  having  gone  to  the  war — 
Franklin  and  Roger  helped  their  Hither  as 
they  could  in  the  field.  Often  in  the 
warm,  cloudless  days,  as  the  three  worked 
together,  their  warlike  talk  contrasted 
strangely  with  the  peaceful  labor  of  their 
hands. 

"  What  a  great  story  that  was  about  the 
French  ladv,"  exclaimed  Roger,  as  he  was 
turning  the  hay  one  of  these  afternoons. 

"  I  didn't  see  it,"  said  Franklin. 

"Nor  I,  that  I  remember,"  added  his 
father.     "  Let  us  hear  it,  Roger  ?  " 
104 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      105 

"  Why,  a  French  lady,  as  they  took  her 
to  be,  dressed  in  black,  went  aboard  a 
steamer  at  Baltimore— the  St.  Nicholas,  I 
believe  it  was — and  at  the  same  time  a  lot 
of  mechanics,  with  their  bags  full  of 
tools,  went  too.  But  when  the  boat  was 
under  way,  out  comes  the  French  lady 
with  the  mechanics — regular  rowdies,  all 
of  'em — rebels,  with  their  knives  and  pis- 
tols, and  they  just  told  the  captain  they 
would  manage  his  boat  for  him.  They' 
put  off  the  passengers,  and  took  on  some 
more  rebels,  and  when  the  crew  was  large 
enough,  they  went  off  and  caught  three 
more  vessels  out  on  the  river.  By  that 
time  they  had  grown  so  bold  that  they 
started  back  to  Baltimore  to  capture  some- 
thing else  ;  but  the  police  nabbed  them, 
and  stopped  the  steamboat  at  the  fort  near 
Baltimore.  The  fellows  showed  fight,  but 
found  'twas  '  no  go  ;'  for  General  Banks — 
isn't  he  the  general  in  Baltimore  now. 
father?" 

«  Yes." 

"  Well,  he  sent  a  company  on  board  to 


106       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

bring  them  to  the  prison.  The  men 
hunted  and  hunted  after  the  leader — that 
French  lady ;  and  where  do  you  think 
they  found  her  at  last?  Shut  up  in  a 
bureau  drawer,"  and  Roger  ended  his  story 
with  a  hearty  laugh,  in  which  the  others 
joined. 

"  I  read  a  good  thing  about  a  rebel  spy 
down  there  in  Maryland,"  added  Franklin. 
•;  He  told  the  picket-guard  at  Hagerstown 
that  he  wanted  to  see  General  Patterson. 
But  when  they  brought  him  to  headquar- 
ters, his  hesitating  manner  made  them  sus- 
pect something  wrong;  so  he  was  searched, 
and  they  found  he  was  a  spy,  with  dis- 
patches from  General  Johnston  to  a  man 
in  Hagerstown.  "Well,  they  took  off  his 
rebel  uniform,  and  put  it  on  one  of  our 
men,  and  he  carried  the  letters  to  the  man 
they  were  meant  for.  The  fellow  told  our 
soldier  everything,  and  wrote  a  letter  back 
to  Johnston ;  but  was  arrested  next  day, 
and  all  his  papers  were  handed  over  to  our 
General." 

"  That   was   shaip>    practice,"   said   Mr. 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      107 

Warren.  "  Our  men  don't  want  for  wit. 
One  of  them,  a  New  York  colonel,  an- 
swered rightly  the  other  day  in  Baltimore 
when  his  men  were  marching  quietly 
through  the  street.  'Where's  your  music?' 
asked  a  bystander,  contemptuously.  'In 
on?-  cartridge-boxes,7  replied  the  colonel, 
and  marched  grimly  on." 

"  What  are  cartridges?"  asked  Roger. 

"  Cartridges  ?  What  the  men  load  with  ; 
little  pasteboard  cases  that  hold  the  pow- 
der and  ball." 

"And  what  is  grape,  father,  and  canis- 
ter?" asked  Frank.  "Something  they 
shoot,  aren't  they?" 

"  Yes.  Grape  means  a  lot  of  small  balls 
tied  together  in  a  bag — not  unlike  a  bunch, 
of  grapes ;  and  canister  is  a  tin  cylinder, 
filled  with  shot;  the  tin  vessel  is  much 
the  same  as  a  tea  or  coffee  canister.  When 
the  gun  is  fired,  the  vessel  bursts,  and  the 
shot  flies  in  every  direction." 

"  That  must  be  nearly  as  bad  as  a  shell," 
said  Franklin,  plying  his  rake,  after  the  pause 
he  had  made  to  hear  his  father's  explana- 


103       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

tion.  "Now  there's  another  thing — cais- 
sons; sometimes  we  read  of  so  many  cais- 
sons taken  from  the  enemy,  and  howitzers, 
too  :  what  are  they  7  " 

"  Caissons  are  the  boxes  that  hold  bomb- 
shells— they  are  for  artillery ;  and  how- 
itzers are  a  kind  of  cannon,  that  fires  at 
short  range — mostly  grape  and  canister." 

"  How  do  you  know  about  all  these 
things,  father  ? n  exclaimed  Roger.  "  I 
should  think  you'd  been  to  the  war." 

"  Why,  I  read  about  them  ;  and  if  I  ever 
meet  with  a  word  I  don't  understand,  I 
look  for  it  in  the  dictionary — a  good  way 
to  net  information,  BiO<ier." 

The  boy  began  to  whistle  "  John 
Browns  Body.""  To  tell  the  truth,  he 
liked  information  better  than  the  effort  to 
get  it.  After  a  moment,  catching  the 
spirit,  of  the  tune,  he  sang  aloud  in  his 
clear,  ringing  tones : 

'•He's  gone  to  be  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Lord, 
He's  gone  to  be  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Lord, 
His  soul's  marching  on!" 

"And  many  a  soldier/'  said  Mr.  "Warren, 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      109 

u  is  '  marching  on  '  to-day,  because  John 
Brown  was  hung.  If  spirits  in  the  other 
world  know  anything  of  what  happens 
in  this,  he  must  have  looked  with  joy  upon 
a  regiment  that  marched  through  New 
York  a  while  ago,  singing  that  hymn.  It 
went  up,"  so  Mr.  Goodwin  said,  "  as  the 
voice  of  one  man." 

"  "What !  was  our  minister  there?"  asked 
Franklin.  "  Oh,  I  remember,  he  did  go  to 
New  York,  and  was  gone  over  Sunday. 
Did  he  hear  them  ?  " 

"  Yes,  '  and  joined  in  the  chorus,  with 
thousands  of  people  that  crowded  the 
sidewalks  and  houses.  No  statesman  or 
military  hero  has  ever  been  thus  honored 
by  our  people ;  but  the  name  of  the  old 
man  who  failed  in  an  unwise  attempt  to 
set  a  few  negroes  free, — who  was  called 
a  fool  and  a  madman,  and  who  died  on  the 
gallows, — John  Brown, — has  become  the 
war-cry  of  the  nation." 

Another  afternoon,  as  Frank  and  Roger 
piled  the  hay-cocks,  the  father  described 
to  them  some  of  the  hard  work  soldiers  do, 


110       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

such  as  digging  trenches,  casting  up  earth- 
works, and  laying  corduroy  roads. 

"Now  I  thought,"  said  Roger,  "'the 
most  they  did  was  to  march  and  fight,  and 
have  a  grand  parade  when  the  General 
orders  one." 

"  There  were  some  big  battles  in  Vir- 
ginia lately,  father ;  I  was  reading  about 
them  in  the  papers,"  said  Franklin. 

"  Yes  ;  Rosecrans  is  making  his  mark — 
a  deep  one  too — down  in  Western  Virginia. 
That's  a  new  State,  boys,  did  you  know 
it?  One  you  won't  find  on  the  maps  as 
yet." 

"  Virginia's  there,  but  nothing  about 
Western  Virginia.  What  is  it  divided 
for?"  said  Roger. 

"Because  that  part  of  the  State  west  of 
the  Alleghanies  is  populated  mostly  by 
loyal  people,  who,  soon  after  the  rebellion 
began,  called  a  convention  and  declared 
themselves  for  the  Union.  They  chose  a 
governor  for  the  new  State,  and  thus  far 
they've  been  true  to  their  principles,  though 
they've  had  to  suffer  for  them.     If  you'll 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       Ill 

remind  me  when  we  go  home,  boys,  I'll 
show  you  on  the  war  map  where  the  battles 
were  fought." 

That  evening,  accordingly,  the  news- 
paper was  spread  on  the  table,  while  three 
young  heads  moved  hither  and  thither 
above  it,  as 'the  father  traced  out  the  points 
of  his  narrative. 

11  Here's  the  Ohio,"  he  said,  pointing  on 
the  map,  "  and  here  to  the  east  is  Wheel- 
ing, the  chief  place  in  that  region.  By 
the  way,  I  found  a  scrap  about  that  city 
the  other  day  that  I  thought  worth  keep- 
ing, for  it  describes  the  first  action  of  the 
new  State  for  the  Union.  When  Virginia 
seceded,  the  Governor  sent  the  following 
order  to  Wheeling. 

"  Richmond,  April  20,  18G1. 
"  To  Andrew  Sweeney,  Mayor  of  Wheeling  : 

"Take  possession  of  the  custom-house,  post-office, 
all  public  buildings  and  public  documents,  in  the  name 
of  Virginia.    Virginia  has  seceded. 

"  John  Letcher,  Governor." 
And  here  is  the  reply : 


112       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

"  Wheeling,  April  21,  1861. 
"  To  John  letcher,  Governor  of  Virginia  : 

"  I  have  taken  possession  of  the  custom-house,  post- 
office,  and  ail  public  buildings  and  public  documents, 
in  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the 
United  States,  whose  property  they  are. 

Andrew  Sweeney,  Mayor  of  "Wheeling." 

uIf  you'll  let  me  Have  that  for  my 
scrap-book,  I'd  like  to  keep  it  for  you, 
father,"  said  Franklin,  examining  the  bit 
of  paper. 

"  Very  well ;  and  here's  another  about  a 
brave  Ohio  boy :" 

i:  Our  men  were  surprised  by  the  enemy  near  Vienna, 
Va..  when  some  twenty  were  killed.  When  the  Union 
troops  retreated,  they  brought  along  a  youth  named 
Daniel  Sullivan,  whose  arm  had  been  shattered  by 
grape  shot.  A  handkerchief  was  bound  above  the 
wound,  to  check  the  flow  of  blood.  This  rude  bandage 
was  adjusted  frequently  by  the  sufferer  himself,  who 
tightened  it  to  check  the  flow  of  blood,  and  again 
loosened  it  when  the  pain  became  unendurable.  While 
lying  in  this  condition,  his  comrades  gathered  around, 
and  one  said:  ''Sullivan,  how  do  you  feel?'  The 
young  man  was  dying ;  but  with  great  exertion  he 
held  up  his  mangled  arm,  supported  by  the  other,  and 
replied :  '  Boys,  I'm  for  the  Union  still.'    "While  the 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       113 

nation  needs  defending,  these  last  words  will  ring  in 
bis  comrades'  ears." 

"  Some  troops  crossed  to  this  point  in 
the  latter  part  of  May/'  continued  Mr. 
Warren,  "  by  order  of  Major-General  Mc- 
Clellan,  when  the  rebel  force  retreated 
south  to  Philippi — here  it  is — which  we 
captured  from  them  a  day  or  two  later. 
It  was  there  that  Oolonel  Lander  took  his 
famous  ride.  He  had  a  plan  to  overtake 
the  rebel  baggage  trains,  and  desired  to 
speak  with  another  officer  about  it.  But 
to  do  so,  he  must  ride  down  a  steep  hill, 
and  that  at  full  gallop,  lest  the  enemy 
should  shoot  him.  His  men  stood  watch- 
ing, and  fearing  every  moment  to  see  him 
pitched  headlong  to  the  ground ;  but  he 
rode  on,  and  escaped  without  harm." 

"He  was  as  courageous  as  old  General 
Putnam  who  took  a  ride  something  like 
that  in  the  Revolutionary  times,"  added 
Franklin. 

"  A  little  later  the  rebel  General  Garnett 
was  routed  from  Laurel  Hill  with  the  loss  of 
his  cannon,  tents,  wagons,  and  a  host  of 


114  THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

men  taken  prisoners.  This  was  the  battle  of 
Rich  Mountain.  Garnett  retreated  down 
here  to  Carrick's  Ford  on  the  Cheat  River," 
said  Mr,  Warren,  finding  the  place  on  a  war 
map.  "  You  see  the  rebels  wanted  to  get 
among  their  friends  beyond  the  mountains. 
But  the  ford  being  by  nature  a  well 
defended  place,  Garnett  paused  to  give  us 
battle ;  he  found  shelter  behind  a  thickly 
shaded  bluff  with  his  men,  about  three 
thousand  all  told,  and  poured  a  heavy  fire 
into  our  troops  as  they  came  up.  While  the 
two  armies  were  contending  against  each 
other,  a  ttrave  Indiana  man  named  Colonel 
Dumont,  crept  up  the  blufFwith  his  soldiers 
and  gained  the  top  at  the  left  of  the  rebels. 
Almost  immediately  he  was  ordered  to  turn 
their  right  flank — that  is,  confront  them 
on  the  other  side,  and  make  them  give 
way.  He  inarched  down  the  bluff  again, 
through  the  middle  of  the  stream,  while 
both  armies  were  firing  over  his  head,  and 
forced  his  way  through  the  thicket,  to  the 
other  side  of  the  rebel  troops.  When  they 
saw  him  again  with  his  six  hundred  men, 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      115 

the  whole  three  thousand  turned  and  fled! 
all  at  least  but  one,  a  slender  Georgian  boy, 
who  staid  by  his  General  and  fell  with 
him ;  for  Garnett  was  shot  through  the 
heart.  He  and  his  young  companion  were 
the  only  faithful  men  in  the  whole  troop. 
Our  soldiers  buried  the  boy,  and  here's  the 
inscription  they  wrote  on  his  headboard," 
said  Mr.  Warren,  reading  from  the  news- 
paper. 

"  We  captured  a  thousand  prisoners  and 
seven  guns,  says  McClellan's  dispatch. 
This  last  engagement  is  called  the  battle  of 
Carrick's  Ford.  We're  driving  the  rebels 
out  of  Western  Virginia  fast,"  added  Mr. 
Warren.  "  You  know  Jefferson  Davis  says, 
*  all  we  ask  is  to  be  let  alone.'  Somebody 
else  says  that's  what  the  unclean  spirits 
wanted  in  the  Gospel ;  they  were  not  *  let 
alone/  but  '  cast  out ; '  and  this  evil  spirit 
of  rebellion  must  be  treated  in  the  same 
way." 

u  Children,  it's  almost  bed-time,/V  said 
the  mother ;  after  a  victory  the  army  takes 
rest,  you  know,  and  you'll  need  some  too. 


116  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

u  Why,  so  it  is,"  said  Mr.  Warren,  look- 
ing at  the  clock;  u  but  it  won't  do  to  go 
to  bed  with  our  heads  full  of  fighting,  or 
you'll  have  the  nightmare,  and  dream  the 
rebels  are  after  you. 

"  Yes,  with  bomb-shells  like  the  one  they 
sent  into  our  troops  at  Big  Bethel/'  said 
Mrs.  Warren,  laughing. 

"Why,  what  kind  of  a  thing  was  it, 
Mamma?  "  asked  Maedy. 

"  Oh,  a  horrible  affair,  one  would  think, 
for  no  one  dared  go  near  it.  The  shape 
and  pattern  were  so  strange  that  the  men 
thought  it  must  be  an  infernal  machine ; 
and  at  last  after  due  deliberation,  they  had 
it  very  cautiously  taken  to  the  arsenal. 
There  it  was  entrusted  to  some  of  the 
workmen  who  unscrewed  the  percussion- 
tip  with  trembling,  took  off  the  outer 
wrappers  slowly,  and  found  the  terrible 
thing  was  filled  with  what  do  you  think, 
— a  quantity  of  rice." 

u  Ha,  ha,"  laughed  Roger,  "  the  rebs 
didn't  want  to  blacken  our  Yankee  boys' 
handsome  faces.     Xow  that  was  kind." 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      117 

•'Rice!  "  exclaimed  Maedy,  "  why  tjiey 
might  have  had  it  for  dinner." 

"Ah,"  said  the  mother,  "perhaps  that 
day  'twas  a  question  between  pudding  and 
powder ;  they  couldn't  have  both,  so  they 
let  the  pudding  go." 

u  Now,  let's  have  a  little  play,  said 
Franklin.  "Just  a  few  minutes,  Mother. 
What  game  shall  it  be  ? " 

"  Going  to  Jerusalem,"  suggested 
Maedy. 

There  aren  t  enough  for  that,  Maedy, 
replied  Roger.  "  I  say  blind-man's-buff," 
that  game  being  one  of  the  few  old-fashioned 
tilings  that  Roger  particularly  likecl. 

And  at  it  they  all  went,  pulling  their 
mother  and  Aunt  Ellen  into  the  sport, 
while  the  father,  blindfold,  dashed  wildly 
about  the  room,  now  grasping  at  nothing 
and  now  clutching  two  at  once,  to  the 
suppressed  delight  of  the  children.  But 
the  evening  was  too  warm  to  play  long 
at  such  an  exciting  game,  and  soon  the 
young  folks  went  laughing  and  panting  to 
bed. 


Chapter  VIII. 


A     GREAT      DISASTER. 


About  a  week  after  the  evening  war- 
story,  occurred  the  great  misfortune,  and 
the  great  blessing,  also,  of  the  war — the  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Eun.  Perhaps  some  of  you 
young  readers  can  recall  the  time, — that 
dismal,  rainy  Monday  when  the  tidings  of 
defeat  and  panic  stunned  the  whole  North. 
The  shame  proved  afterward  to  be  less  than 
we  thought  it,  but  that  discovery  could 
not  soften  the  humiliation  of  the  first  shock. 
Every  eye  was  lowered,  every  lip  was 
dumb  ;  not  so  much  for  the  defeat,  though 
that  was  grievous,  but  for  the  panic  after 
it.  Our  soldiers  were  not  to  be  trusted ; 
they  had  fled  in  fear.  Our  grand  army  was 
u  pouring  back  into  Washington,  a  heed- 
less, worthless,  uncontrolled  mob."  These 
were  the  tidings  that  crushed  the  high 
118 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      119 

hope  of  the  nation,  and  made  many  exclaim 
in  the  first  bewilderment,  "the   cause  is 
lost."      The  seventy-five   thousand   three- 
months'  men  nearly  all  left  the  service  and 
retired  to  their  homes.     The  Government 
which  just  before  had  been  burdened  with 
companies,  regiments,  and   batteries,  eager 
to  join  in  the  contest,  now  found  itself  re- 
duced to  ask  for  help— and  at  first  to  ask 
in  vain.      The   rebel   host   was  doubled; 
our's  cut  down  to  half  its  former  number. 
For  once  the  people  staggered ;  but  they 
did  not  utterly  fall.     The  land  was  full  of 
gloom;    and   I   doubt    whether  a  sadder 
home  could  have  been  found  in  its  borders 
than  that  of  young  Warren.     Sorrowing 
for  the  common  cause,  and  filled  with  an- 
guish at  the  possible  fate  of  their  boy,  the 
parents   were    as  those  already  bereaved. 
The   children  wept   to    see   them    pacing 
the  floor  with  smitten,  tearless  faces,  and 
refused   to  be   comforted  by  Aunt   Ellen, 
whose  troubled  eyes  were  little  calculated 
to  soothe  their  sorrow.     I  know  not  what 
pitch  this   household    grief    might    have 


120      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

reached — for  to  the  frightened  children  the 
silent  agony  of  their  father  and  mother 
seemed  more  than  could  be  borne — had 
not  a  timely  letter  arrived  from  Daniel 
Looking  back,  how  faintly  they  had  seemed 
to  prize  his  former  letters,  how  coldly  they 
had  read  them  !  But  now,  through  trouble, 
the  great  deeps  of  the  family  love  were 
broken  up,  and  tears  sprang  to  all  eyes 
as  they  saw  the  familiar  superscription, 
while  the  mother  held  the  precious  envel- 
ope as  if  it  were  the  hand  of  her  boy7  ere 
she  could  trust  herself  to  read  its  contents. 
The  letter  ran  thus  : 

Washington',  July  — ,  1861. 

My  Beloved  Ones  : 

I  know  what  you  must  have  suffered  of  late  ;  I  have 
been  tortured  myself  with  my  inability  to  relieve  your 
apprehensions.  At  the  outset,  then,  let  me  tell  you 
that  I  came  out  from  the  battle  of  the  21st  with  no 
serious  injury,  and  am  at  present  in  very  good  condition. 
I  did  get  a  slight  wound,  with  which  I  am  laid  up  here 
in  the  hospital  expecting  however  to  be  discharged  in 
a  week  or  so.  Perhaps  by  and  by  I  can  get  a  fur- 
lough ;  I  confess  I  should  like  one  amazingly  ;  but  just 
now,  when  the  ranks  are  thinning  by  thousands.  I  don't 
like  the  idea  of  leaving  even  for  a  short  time.     But  I 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      121 

promise  you,  dear  mother,  that  the  next  chance  I  get, 
if  things  only  look  a  little  brighter,  I  will  seize  the 
opportunity,  and  make  a  visit  home.  The  time  of  the 
three  months'  men  is  up  you  know,  but  our  boys  are 
not  inclined  to  be  mustered  out  yet ;  we've  just  begun 
to  learn  what  a  soldier  ought  to  be,  and  we've  no  idea 
of  retiring  at  the  very  outset  of  the  war. 

My  hurt  this  time  is  a  more  fortunate  one  for  my 
pride  than  the  bruise  I  got  in  Baltimore.  It's  a  flesh 
wound  in  the  cheek,  a  gouge  from  a  rebel  bullet,  but 
bids  fair  to  make  a  good  scar.  You  would  smile  to  see 
how  eagerly  I  watch  for  it,  unless  you  happened  to 
know  how  such  honors  are  prized  among  us  soldiers. 
A  man  with  the  mark  of  battle  on  him  stands  head 
and  shoulders  above  his  comrades,  not  to  speak  of  the 
honor  he  receives  at  home.  There's  a  sick  man  in 
the  bed  next  to  mine,  and  the  first  day  I  came  I 
heard  him  groaning  at  a  dismal  rate.  I  thought  I'd 
cheer  him  up  a  little,  so  I  called  out, '  Hey,  comrade, 
don't  be  so  blue,  you're  not  going  up  yet  awhile.' 
That's  the  soldier's  phrase  for  dying.  '  Oh,  no,'  says 
he,  '  I  almost  wish  I  was.  Here  I  am,  down  sick  with 
rheumatiz  and  overdoing,  and  that  lazy  little  Bill  Hardy 
that  stood  side  o'  me,  lazy  as  a  drone  till  he  took  to 
his  heels,  he's  got  a  most  powerful  cut  over  his  ear ; 
and  me  a  lying  here  with  nary  a  scratch.'  And  the 
fellow  groaned  and  groaned,  till  I  called  out,  '  Well, 
you  howl  like  that,  will  you,  and  make  yourself  sick ; 
don't  you  know  if  you  keep  still  you'll  be  on  your 
pins  the  sooner,  and  get  another   lick  at  the  rebs; 


122  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

there  will  be  a  chance  for  you  to  beat  Bill  Ilardy  and 
his  gashes  before  long-,  at  which  the  fellow  seemed 
encouraged  and  '  dried  up.?  You  notice,  perhaps,  that 
my  English  is  not  improved  by  army  usage,  for  in  the 
rough  life  we  lead,  and  with  the  rough  men  we  meet, 
our  polite  home  language  soon  falls  into  disuse.  I  am 
glad  to  say.  however,  that  there  is  very  little  profanity 
or  intemperance  m  our  regiment,  and  in  Sunday's 
battle  it  behaved  well;  it  had  no  part  in  the  panic- 
struck  route  that  the  papers  tell  you  of.  I  wish  I  could 
give  you  some  faint  idea  of  that  conflict.  Certainly  I 
never  saw  anything  of  war  till  that  day ;  such  vast 
bodies  of  men,  such  smoke,  and  blood,  and  tumult.  Of 
the  general  outline  of  the  affair  I  knew  nothing  at  the 
time  ;  for  all  a  common  soldier  sees  on  the  field  is  his 
own  line,  and  sometimes  through  the  smoke,  the  ene- 
my's ;  all  he  hears  apart  from  the  great  roar  is  the 
command  of  his  officer.  Even  the  firing  is  mostly 
at  random.  I  remember  fighting  in  the  smoke  from 
early  morning,  firing  my  rounds  with  my  company, 
till  toward  three  o'clock,  when  I  was  hurt ;  after  a 
while  the  loss  of  blood  affected  me  some,  and  I  went  to 
the  rear,  tore  the  sleeve  from  my  jacket  and  bound  up 
my  face.  Just  then  the  order  to  retreat  was  given, 
and  I  fell  into  the  ranks,  but  didn't  report  to  my  regi- 
ment till  Monday. 

My  idea  of  the  battle  is  formed  mainly  from  what  1 
have  heard  eye-witnesses  tell.  I  have  also  made  some 
good  acquaintances,  lately, — among  them  two  aids, — 
and  they've  given  me  much  interesting  information. 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       123 

"  What  are  aids  ?  "  asked  Maedy. 

"They're  usually  young  officers  who 
convey  the  General's  orders  and  otherwise 
assist  him,'7  said  her  Father. 

"  The  grand  army  began  its  march,  you  know,  on 
Tuesday  ;  part  of  it  bivouacked  that  night  at  Vienna, 
a  little  west  of  "Washington.  It  moved  on  by  easy 
stages,  till  within  a  short  distance  of  Blackburn's 
Ford  at  Bull  Eun,  where  it  found  the  '  rebs  '  strongly 
posted.  Our  forces  were  drawn  up  around  Center- 
villc  ;  our  preparations  for  attack,  however,  were  some- 
what delayed,  and  meanwhile  Johnston's  army  came  to 
the  help  of  the  rebels,  full  fifteen  thousand  strong.  I 
suppose  you've  heard  how  he  outwitted  our  General 
Patterson  at  "Winchester.  The  rebel  commander  sent 
out  a  cavalry  force  as  a  '  blind,'  and  then  quietly 
marched  off  to  join  Beauregard  at  Bull  Bun.  This  at 
least  is  Patterson's  story,  whom  many  think  an  incom- 
petent if  not  a  treacherous  man,  and  whom  the  soldiers 
salute  with  groans  as  he  rides  past.  "Well,  we  had 
our  divisions  all  posted,  each  in  the  place  assigned  it, 
and  after  some  delay,  the  fight  opened  at  half-past  six 
on  Sunday  morning.  Burnside  and  his  brigade  called 
out  the  first  fire  from  the  enemy  on  the  "Warrentown 
road  ;  they  pressed  on,  followed  by  Heintzelman's  and 
Hunter's  divisions,  and  nearly  cleared  the  road  of  bat- 
teries, driving  the  rebels  back  a  mile  and  a  half.  They 
fought  obstinately,  however,  charging  our  batteries,  and 
assailing  us  with  artillery  from    the  heights  above. 


124      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

Sherman  and  Keys'  brigades  crossed  the  Run,  and 
/ought  hand  to  hand  with  the  rebels,  who  were  rallied 
by  Beauregard  and  Johnston  for  a  desperate  stand. 
Corcoran's  Irish  regiment  showed  its  pluck  at  the  cross- 
ing ;  the  men  stripped  off  their  coats  and  accoutrements, 
and  plunged  into  the  Eun  with  their  bayonets.  Our  fel- 
lows were  baffled  for  a  time,  but  finally  held  the  position. 
They  say  Jackson's  men  were  in  the  rebel  front ;  and 
when  the  Hampton  legion  came  to  their  support,  the 
General  shouted,  '  Cover  the  retreat ;  we  are  beaten 
and  must  fall  back.'  '  Then  I  will  show  the  enemy  our 
bayonets,'  replied  the  Hampton  commander,  and  calling 
to  the  rebels  by  way  of  encouragement,  he  exclaimed, 
1  Here  stands  Jackson  like  a  stone  wall,  and  here  let 
us  conquer  or  die.'  The  men  responded  '  Stonewall ! 
Stonewall :'  with  cheers,  and  'tis  said  the  general  goes 
by  that  name  among  them  now — ■  Stonewall  Jackson.' 
But  we  did  push  him  back,  nevertheless,  and  in  that 
struggle  they  failed  to  conquer.  At  this  point  of  the 
battle  our  officers  thought  the  day  was  won,  and  for 
warded  dispatches  to  that  effect  to  Washington.  "Wc 
had  cut  down  some  of  the  enemy's  best  men,  Bee,  Bar- 
ton, Fisher,  Lieut-Col.  Johnson,  and  others ;  the 
rebels  meanwhile  were  panic-struck,  and  raised  the  cry 
of  ■  run  ! '  Their  President,  Jefferson  Davis,  appeared 
on  the  field,  riding  a  beautiful  white  horse,  but  even 
then  the  flight  was  not  stayed.  The  sight  of  his 
wounded  friends,  and  the  forlorn  aspect  of  his  army, 
must  have  made  him  heavy-hearted. 

At  this  juncture  when  our   pioneers  had    remov- 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      125 

ed   the    obstructions   near   the    bridge,   and  some  of 
our  forces   were   on  their  way  to  cross  the  Run  to 
aid    in   completing-    our   triumph,    we    heard  a    pro- 
longed cheer  from  the  rebel  ranks.     <  Kirby  is  coming! 
Kirby  is   coming  with  thirty  thousand  men!'    thun- 
dered along  their  lines  ;  and  up  came  Kirby  Smith,  a 
Connecticut  traitor,  with    a    host  behind    him  that 
was  not  quite  thirty  thousand  strong,  but  yet  looked 
very  much  like  it.  And  now  bear  in  mind  the  condition 
of  our  men  ;  it  was  late  in  the  day,  they  had  been  for 
thirteen    hours    marching,   fighting,   hungry,   thirsty, 
weary,  without  help,  through  all  that  bloody  contest, 
while  their  foe  was  being  continually  relieved  by  fresh 
men.     Moreover,  this  terrible    battle    was    the  first 
that  many  of  our  men  had  ever  seen.     Let  these  facts 
partly  explain  the  panic  in  which  they  fled  from  the 
fresh  host  opposed  to  them.     You  have  heard  enough 
about  that.     I  will  only  say  of  it  that  there  were  whole 
battalions  of  men  who  went  back  that  night  in  order, 
depressed,  but  dauntless  still ;  while  the  wretched  stuff 
that  formed  a  part  of  the  army,  went  back  on  a  race, 
^  to  fill  Washington  and  the  country  with  false  alarms.' 
1  The  army  should  not  be  judged  from  its  off-scouring,  nor 
from  rebel  reports,  some  of  which  are  laughable  enough ; 
as  for  instance  that  they  '  chased  old  Scott  so  close  he 
had  to  leave  his   coach,  and  in  running  lost  his  epau- 
lettes, and  one  of  his  cowardly  legs  ; '  whereas  the  vet- 
eran general  has  not  been    outside  of  Washington. 
Another  reports  Sherman's  famous  battery  taken  ;  but 
it  arrived  here  without  the  loss  of  a  gun. 


126       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

The  opinion  prevails  in  the  army  that  our  move- 
ments  have  been  too  long  delayed.  It  is  affirmed  that 
we  had  time  and  means  with  our  force  to  march  into 
Richmond  by  the  first  of  July,  before  the  place  was 
strongly  defended,  or  the  rebel  hosts  mustered.  I 
cannot  say  how  far  this  opinion  is  correct,  but  one  fact 
is  plain  ;  wc  have  been  in  no  hurry  to  attack.  If  Patter- 
son had  kept  Johnston  from  coming  up.  I  think  we  should 
have  gained  the  battle  despite  the  delay  ;  and  how  a 
loyal  general  confronting  a  rebel  force  away  off  in  Win- 
chester, could  deliberately  depart  and  leave  the  road 
clear  for  him  to  reinforce  Beauregard,  is  more  than 
I  can  understand.  There's  a  story  around — and  a  true 
one  too — that  he  refused  for  a  long  while  to  show  the 
flag  at  his  house  in  Philadelphia,  at  the  time  of  the 
popular  uprising,  after  the  nefc-s  of  Sumter  ;  and  more- 
over, he's  known  to  be  of  the  extreme  pro-slavery  party 
in  pohtics.  The  care  of  the  Union  is  hardly  safe  in  such 
hands.  Sometimes  it  happens  that  the  privates  behave 
more  worthily  than  their  commanders.  That  intrepid 
seaman,  William  Conway,  for  instance,  did  so  who 
disobeyed  orders  at  Pensacola,  Florida.  The  lieutenant 
intended  to  surrender  that  important  naval  station,  and 
commanded  the  flag  to  be  hauled  down.  '  I'll  be  shot 
first,'  said  Conway,  and  actually  refused  to  execute  the 
order.  No  one  had  the  face  to  punish  him,  and  as 
Pensacola  is  not  surrendered,  I'm  inclined  to  think 
he'll  never  get  anything  but  glory  for  his  disobedience. 

"While  we  were  suffering  for  reinforcements  twenty 
thousand  .volunteers  were  lying  idle  here   in  _Wash- 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      127 

ington.  Why  they  were  not  at  Bull  Run  can 
only  be  explained  by  those  who  control  the  military 
department.  I  think,  too,  they'll  have  to  ferret  out 
some  of  the  traitors  at  home  before  we  can  move  to 
advantage  on  the  field,  for  our  officers  say  it  was  plain 
from  the  enemy's  movements  that  he  knew  beforehand 
oar  plan  of  battle,  and  facts  kept  secret  here,  known 
only  to  a  few  high  officials,  were  reported  at  rebel 
headquarters,  c? 

Another  misfortune  ol  tne  battle  was  the  disabling 
of  two  Generals — Hunter  and  Heintzelman.  They  were 
carried  away  wounded,  early  in  the  attack,  when  wc 
most  needed  their  wisdom  and  leadership.  Our  defeat 
in  this  first  great  engagement  is  a  great  blow  to  our 
hopes,  and  yet  I  hope  it  will  bring  us  some  compensa- 
tion. If  it  serves  only  to  sift  the  army — officers  and 
men — from  the  chaff  scattered  through  it,  that  will  be 
a  blessing.  And  I  do  believe  that  the  North,  rising 
from  the  present  depression,  will  rally  firmer  than  ever 
before  to  the  defense  of  our  imperiled  Union.  We 
must  move  onward  till  the  good  flag  waves  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

July  26. — I  had  to  stop  awhile,  as  my  wound  was  in- 
flamed, and  the  Doctor  would  not  allow  much  writing 
at  once.  In  all  this  I  haven't  mentioned  a  little 
story  saved  up  for  Maedy,  about  our  « child  of  the 
regiment.'  Next  to  my  own  little  sister,  she's  the  pret- 
tiest, dearest  maiden  I  know,  and  that  is  saying  a  great 
deal.  She's  only  ten  years  old,  this  little  Lizzy ;  she 
carries,  slung  by  her  side,  a  small  canteen  of  brandy  for 


123      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

the  sick,  and  she  ministers  to  the  men  in  various  ways. 
Sometimes  she  brings  a  market-cart  with  her,  and  dis- 
penses strawberries,  cherries,  or  fresh  vegetables,  as 
she  passes  through  the  camp.  .  She  serves  the  regiment 
like  a  little  woman,  and  makes  herself  everbody's  pet  as 
a  matter  of  course.  J  "Well,  before  I  left  the  Sixth  we 
had  a  '  presentation '  for  little  Lizzy,  when  we  gave  her 
a  beautiful  uniform,  or  costume  rather,  suitable  to  her 
office.  Sergeant  Crowley  made  the  speech,  the  same 
man  that  bore  the  flag  through  Baltimore. :;.  The  little 
lady  received  our  gift  graciously,  and  stepped  into  the 
hospital  close  by,  returning  a  moment  after,  clad  in 
her  pretty  new  garments.  Standing  on  the  green  with 
the  banner  waving  over  her,  she  made  this  little  speech, 
which  I  noted  down  as  she  spoke  :  .' 

•  Comrades,  when  you  took  me,  a  stranger,  and 
adopted  me  as  your  daughter,  I  had  but  little  idea  of 
what  you  were  doing,  or  of  what  my  duties  were  ;  but 
having  been  in  camp  with  you,  I  have  learned  to  love 
you  all,  and  I  believe  that  you  all  love  me,  because 
there  are  none  of  you  when  we  meet  but  have  a  pleasant 
word  and  smile  for  me.  |  And  now  that  you  have  put  me 
in  uniform,  I  feel  still  more  that  I  belong  to  you,  and  I 
will  try  never  to  forget  it.  But  you  do  not  expect  me  to 
talk.  Like  this  beautiful  treasure,  which  is  full  to 
relieve  the  parched  lips  of  my  sick  and  wounded  com- 
rades, and  which  I  shall  prize  as  a  remembrance  all 
through  my  life,  so  shall  my  heart  be  a  canteen  full  of 
love  and  sympathy  for  every  one  of  you.  Comrades, 
thank  you,  thank  you.'    And  as  the  child  bowed  her 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      129 

thanks,  we  gave  her  three  cheers  and  a  'tiger' — as 
hearty  a  salute  as  ever  went  up  for  any  General-in- 
chief,  and  escorted  her  to  head-quarters. 

But  the  pain  in  my  face  warns  me  again  to 
stop.  I  expect  to  leave  the  hospital  in  a  few  days, 
and  will  send  you  further  news  as  soon  as  possible. 
Meanwhile,  with  regards  to  all  friends,  and  a  heart  full 
of  love  for  you,  dear  '  folks  at  home/  I  remain,  as  ever, 

Your  affectionate 

Daniel. 


Chapter  IX. 


GLIMPSES      OF      THE      BATTLE      FIELD. 

The  account  Daniel  gave  of  himself  was 
so  much  better  than  they  had  dared  to 
expect,  that  the  Warrens  were  greatly  com- 
forted. They  were  cheered,  too,  by  his 
hopeful  words,  and  began  to  recover  from 
the  shock  of  the  first  news. 

"  He  felt  the  defeat  of  Big  Bethel  so 
keenly,"  said  Aunt  Ellen.  "I  wonder 
that  he  wasn't  beside  himself  over  this." 

u  Yes,  but  he  wasn't  at  Big  Bethel ;  and 
he  was  at  Bull  Run,"  said  Mr.  Warren, 
"  fighting  hard,  and  surrounded  by  men 
who  were  straining  every  nerve  to  prevent 
defeat.  In  such  a  case,  to  have  done  the 
best  one  could,  must  be  a  consolation,  as  it 
is  to  us  farmers  when  the  crops  fail.  By  the 
way,  you  remember  General  Pierce  that 
Daniel  described  as  being  so  sorrowful  after 
130  " 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIER.!.  133 

the  disaster  at  Big  Bethel?  I  see  by  the 
paper  that,  after  serving  his  time  out,  he 
has  enlisted  as  a  common  private.  That 
shows  the  true  man.  I  would  more  of  our 
officers  had  such  courage  and  sincerity." 

For  a  week  or  more  after  the  battle 
Franklin  busied  himself  with  collecting 
Incidents  about  it  for  his  scrap  book,  and  as 
the  papers  teemed  with  war-news,  his  pages 
were  rapidly  filled.  He  had  a  favorite  plan 
of  keeping  a  part  of  his  collection  for  this 
subject,  and  thus  make  a  sort  of  war  story 
book.  The  rest  of  the  family  encouraged 
him  in  his  work  by  saving  whatever  they 
read  that  wTas  suited  to  his  purpose.  One 
rainy  afternoon,  when  "  haying  v  wTa§  past, 
and  the  children  knew  not  how  to  amuse 
themselves,  the  mother  suggested  that 
Franklin  should  read  some  of  his  stories 
aloud. 

u  Oh,  I  don- 1  want  to,;'  exciaimed  the 
boy,  listlessly,  for  he  felt  just  as  you  feel 
sometimes,  little  reader,  when  you  don't 
know  what  to  do. 

"  Oh,  yes,  please,  11  rank,"  said  Maedy, 


132      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

who  had  found  some  work  in  her  ever 
increasing  doll-wardrobe,  and  was  sewing 
busily  on  a  stool  at  her  mother's  feet. 

"  I  haven't  had  time  to  read  the  papers 
much  lately,''  added  his  mother  ;  "  I  should 
be  really  interested  to  hear  your  extracts." 

"  So  should  I,"  added  xVunt  Ellen. 

u  Come,  Frank,  bring  out  your  dokky- 
ments,"  added  Eoger,  who  was  disposed  to 
rally  Frank  on  his  literary  tastes,  and  who 
declared  one  day,  when  his  brother  was 
busy  over  his  book,  that  he  "  looked  exactly 
like  old  Squire  Case,  poring  over  his  law 
books  ;  "  and,  thereafter,  the  book  went  by 
the  name  of  Roger's  christening. 

Thus  urged,  Franklin  slowly  complied 
with  the  general  request.  As  he  turned 
the  leaves  his  eye  caught  the  words  Bull 
Run.  u  Here's  something  about  the  battle," 
lie  said,  as  he  turned  the  leaves,  and  read : 

The  treatment  received  by  our  wounded  at  the 
hands  of  the  rebels  is  a  disgrace  to  our  common 
humanity.  We  have  certain  proof  that. after  the  battle 
of  Bull  Run,  Union  men,  left  on  the  field,  were  brutally 
kicked,  insulted,  and  bayoneted.     One  soldier  states 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      133 

that  as  ne  lay  on  ^e  sod,  he  received  fourteen  wounds 
from  a  rebel  bayonet.  Afterward,  when  taken  to  the 
liichmond  Hospital,  his  leg  was  amputated  by  an  un- 
skillful surgeon,  and  he  came  near  losing  it.  He  testi- 
fies that  our  men  are  entrusted  to  the  care  of  young 
surgeons  there,  who  are  not  allowed  to  operate  upon 
the  rebel  wounded.  A  Colonel  Estran,  in  their  army, 
a  European,  was  denounced  for  showing  attentions  to 
injured  Yankees,  and  was  forced  to  obtain  his  general's 
permision,  before  he  dared  brave  the  threats  of  his 
comrades  in  his  humane  work. 

Eve  witnesses  say  that  the  bodies  of  our  slain  were 
mangled  by  the  enemy ;  that  the  limbs  of  our  dead 
were  boiled,  their  bones  made  into  trinkets  for 
souvenirs,  and  that  leg-bones  of  northern  soldiers  are 
used  as  drumsticks  in  the  rebel  army.  These  facts 
told  of  a  civilized  people,  could  not  be  credited  except 
for  the  many  eye-witnesses  who  repeat  them." 

"  That  reminds  me,"  said  the  mother, 
"of  a  great  speech  our  Senator  Sumner  made 
once  in  Congress.  It  was  called  '  The 
Barbarism  of  Slavery,'  and  it  showed  how 
slavery  made  savages  of  people.  A  south- 
ern man  tried  afterwards  to  kill  him  for 
making  the  speech,  and  almost  succeeded.'' 

"  But  that  was  only  proving  how  true 
the  speech  was,"  said  Franklin. 

"  Yes,  indeed :   Brook's  assault   did    as 


134       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

much  for  freedom,  perhaps,   as    Sumner's 
speech.     What  comes  next,  Frank  ?  " 

A  young  man  by  the  name  of  Casey,  belonging  to 
the  First  Minnesota  Regiment,  refused  to  retire  when 
his  regiment  were  ordered  back.  He  stood  up  against 
the  foe  alone,  loading  and  firing  as  fast  as  he  could. 
One  of  his  lieutenants  rushed  forward  with  a  drawn 
sword,  and  threatened  to  cut  him  down  if  he  did  not 
fall  back. 

1  Cut  away  ! '  exclaimed  Casey.  '  I  had  rather  ba 
Rilled  by  you  than  by  the  rebels  ; '  and  he  fired  again 
before  he  retired. 

Capt.  Putnam  was  hit  in  the  shoulder,  and  thrown 
to  the  ground.  . 

'  Our  captain  is  killed  ! '  shouted  a  soldier. 

foNo ;  he  is  not  killed,  boys!'  exclaimed  the 
heroic  captain,  springing  to  his  feet.  '  Forward  !  for 
God  and  Liberty  ! ' 

A  private  in  one  of  the  New- York  regiments  was 
seriously  wounded,  and  carried  from  the  field.  His 
father  came  to  see  him  thereafter  at  the  hospital. 
The  boy  lay  with  his  head  downwards  on  the  pallet. 

'Ah !  my  poor  boy,'  said  the  father  mournfully,  '  I 
am  very  sorry  for  you  ;  but  it's  a  bad  place  to  be  hit — 
thus  in  the  hack* 

"  The  sufferer  turned  over,  bared  his  breast,  and 
pointing  to  the  opening  above  the  arm-pit,  exclaim- 
ed,— 

1  Father  !  here's  where  the  bail  went  in.' 


THE   BKOTHEtt    SOLDIEES.  135 

Two  members  of  a  New  Hampshire  regiment  were 
retreating  through  the  woods,  when  they  were  met  by  five 
rebels,  who  called  out,  <  halt,  or  we  fire.'  The  Granite 
boys  saw  their  dilemma,  but  the  foremost,  a  man  named 
Hanford,  from  Dover,  N.  II.,  took  aim  and  replied, 
1  halt  you,  or  we  fire  ! '  At  the  words,  both  discharged' 
their  pieces,  and  brought  down  one  rebel.  Again,  he 
gave  the  word  to  <  fire,'  and  two  more  fell.  The  others 
took  a  sudden  leave,  while  the  Granite  boys  went  on 
their  way  unmolested. 

Our  boys  died  with  courage.     One  was  ordered  to 
fall  into  the  ranks.     <  I  will,  if  I  can,'  he  answered 
simply.     His  arm  hung  shattered  by  his  side,  and  he 
was  bleeding  to  death.    In  a  few  minutes  he  sank  mur- 
muring,  'It   grows   very    dark,   mother,   very   dark. 
Poor  fellow !    His  thoughts  were  far  away  in  his  Ohio 
home,  dark,  indeed,  henceforth  to  the  waiting  mother. 
A  corporal  of  the  Michigan  Fourth  became  sepa- 
rated from  his  regiment  during  the  withdrawal  from 
the  field,  and  was  forced  to  seek  shelter  among  the 
bushes.     "When  night  came  he  wandered  along  and 
lost  his  way  in  the  woods.     Being  wounded  in  the  hg, 
he  made  slow  progress  ;  and  by  the  following  Wednes- 
day he  had  only  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Fairfax. 
Needy  and  discouraged,  he  espied  a  Confederate  picket, 
to  whom, he  deliberately  walked  up  and  told  his  story  ; 
to  his  utter  surprise,  the  soldier  offered  him  food  and 
drink,  told  him  where  he  could  find  a  stack  of  arms, 
and  pom  red  to  a  negro  hut  in  which  he  could  safely 
sleep  through  the  night.     'lama  Union  man,'  added 


136  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

the  southerner,  by  way  of  explanation,  but  preferred  to 
volunteer  rather  than  be  impressed ;  by  doing  so  I 
save  my  property,  and  must  trust  to  luck  for  the  rest. 
If  we  meet  in  battle,  I'll  not  try  very  hard  to  hit  you, 
and  mind  you  don't  hit  me.'  Truly  there  is  one 
Good  Samaritan  in  the  southern  ranks. 


Chapter  X. 


WILSONS     CREEK. 

"  Well,  wife,  here's  something  good  for 
us,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Warren,  as  he  entered 
the  family  "  keeping-room,7'  and  gave  a 
letter  to  his  wife.  "  We're  in  luck  lately. 
It's  from  Horace  this  time." 

The  children  overheard  their  father's 
words,  and  came  rushing  in  from  the  next 
room.  '*  A  letter  from  Horace,  let's 
see  !  read  it !  let's  hear  it !  they  exclaimed 
all  together." 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  Koger,  looking  at 
the  post-mark,  he  hasn't  gone  to  the  war 
yet,  for  here's  the  stamp,  St.  Louis." 

(t  Gone  to  the  war  !  "  rejoined  Franklin. 
a  Why,  the  rebels  are  all  round  them,  out 
there.  He  might  have  been  a  soldier  for 
ever  so  long,  and  not  stirred  out  of  the  city, 
mightn't  he,  father?" 
137 


138  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so ;  for  Fremont  is  in 
command  there,  and  the  place  is  fortified, 
I  believe.  Now,  children,  be  quiet,  and 
let's  hear  what  Horace  says."  So  Mrs. 
Warren  read  : 

St.  Louis,  Aug. — 1SG1. 
My  Dear  Ones  : 

Again  the  months  have  slipped  by  almost  uncon- 
ciously  to  me,  for  I  meant  before  this  time  to  thank 
you  for  your  news.  I  was  rejoiced  to  hear  of  Daniel's 
safety.  It  is  his  advantage,  I  think,  that  as  yet  lie  has 
not  seen  much  active  service ;  for  he'll  make  all  the 
better  soldier  for  the  drill  and  discipline  he's  had  mean- 
time. Please  tell  me  when  you  'write,  if  he  "was  at 
Bull  Run.  "We  have  lived  in  constant  excitement  out 
here  since  Spring,  and  this  is  the  main  reason  why  I 
have  not  written  more  often.  The  guerrillas,  scattered 
thick  through  the  State,  together  with  Price's  and  Mc- 
Culloch's  armies,  both  in  Missouri,  keep  us  in  constant 
alarm. 

u  Guerrillas  !  they're  a  dreadful  kind  of 
monkey,  aren't  they  '?"  asked  Maedy. 

"No,  little  one,  you  mean  gorillas ,"  said 
Mr.  Warren,  smiling.  But  the  two  are  alike 
in  one  respect ;  both  are  bad  company  to 
meet  in  the  woods  ;  guerrillas  herd  together 
like  bands  of  robbers  ;  they  are   indepen- 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  139 

dent  of  the  army  organization,  fight  when 
and  where  they  choose,  and  they  are  as 
reckless,  cruel  a  set  of  men  as  can  be  found 
on  the  earth." 

You  can  guess  something  of  the  excitement  here, 
read  the  mother,  from  the  way  one  of  our  citizens 
left  us  lately.  He  was  bound  for  a  Free  State,  he  said, 
where  he  could  live  in  peace,  so  he  got  his  two-story 
house  on  a  barge,  and  had  it  towed  up  the  river  !  The 
family  continued  to  live  inside,  and  when  last  seen  they 
were  sailing  comfortably  up  the  stream,  like  Noah  and 
his  company  in  the  ark. 

General  Fremont,  you  know,  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  Western  District  in  July.  He  is  a 
great  favorite  with  our  German  and  other  foreign  popu- 
lation, and  we  all  think  him  a  man  of  ability.  He  has 
some  brave  men,  too,  among  his  officers,  foremost  of  whom 
is  Sigel,  the  "  Flying  Dutchman,"  as  we  call  him,  because 
when  he  is  wanted  in  a  place,  he  reaches  it  so  quickly. 
He  fought  our  first  real  battle,  on  the  fifth  of  July,  at 
Carthage,  where  the  rebels  outnumbered  him,  and 
made  him  retreat  at  last ;  but  their  loss  was  five  times 
more  than  ours.  His  skill  there,  and  the  number  of 
prisoners  he  took,  made  his  reputation  in  Missouri. 
fle  marched  his  men  forty  miles,  at  that  time,  and 
fought  two  battles  in  two  days,  on  short  rations.  He 
is  very  popular  among  the  Germans  here,  for  he  was 
an  officer  in  the  Prussian  army,  and  is  said  to  be  a 
first-rate  artillerist,  as  well  as  a  military  leader. 


140      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

But  officers  can't  work  without  men ;  we  are  short 
of  these,  as  well  as  money  and  arms.  There's  a  diffi- 
culty, too,  beyond  these ;  for  our  new  governor 
(Gamble)  is  opposed  to  Fremont,  and  refuses  to  com- 
mission his  officers;  so  you  can  judge  military  affairs 
here  are  considerably  muddled ;  but  our  general  has 
managed,  in  various  ways,  to  deceive  the  enemy  about 
these  things.  For  instance,  when  Cairo  was  threat- 
ened, soon  after  he  came  here,  he  was  short  of  men ; 
you'll  see  by  its  position  on  the  map  that  it  is  the  key 
to  our  State,  a  place  he  could  not  afford  to  lose. 
."Well,  there  was  a  great  bustle  in  forwarding  troops; 
steamers  were  ordered,  and  the  men  marched  up  and 
down  the  streets  with  colors  and  music  in  such 
1  spread-eagle  '  fashion  that  we  thought  they  numbered 
twelve  or  fifteen  thousand.  At  night  they  were  sent  to 
Cairo.  The  '  rebs '  in  that  neighborhood  heard  the 
place  was  reinforced  with  twelve  thousand  men,  so 
they  abandoned  their  game  ;  and  all  he  had  was  barely 
three  thousand !  "With  them  he  saved  Cairo  to  us 
without  a  battle ;  yet  the  deception  was  so  well  done, 
that  the  report  went  all  through  the  country,  that 
twelve  thousand  men  were  defending  Cairo. 

I  suppose  you  at  home  have  heard  of  our  battles  at 
Dug  Springs  and  "Wilson's  Creek,  the  last  a  sad  one  for 
Missouri  and  the  nation.  The  loyal  heart  of  the  "West 
beats  mournfully  to  day  over  the  loss  of  our  noblest 
general ;  but  Lyon's  death  will  not  lack  avengers. 
Hundreds  are  springing  up  to  fight  for  the  cause  in 
which  he  fell,  and  his  name  is  the  battle-cry  on  their 
lips. 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      141 

Fremont  sent  him  to  the  defence  of  our  South- 
western region,  with  headquarters  at  Springfield.  The 
rebels  overran  that  part  of  the  country,  and  General 
Lyon  heard  of  two  great  columns  coming  to  attack  him. 
lie  determined  to  strike  one  before  the  other  came  up, 
and  succeeded  in  repelling  it  at  Dug  Springs  near 
Springfield.  He  lured  the  enemy  into  a  fight  by  pre- 
tending to  flee  ;  but  when  they  pursued,  he  turned 
back  and  put  them  to  rout.  After  this  engagement, 
Lyon  had  less  than  four  thousand  available  men  to 
put  against  Price  with  his  army  of  fourteen  thousand. 
Lyon  and  Sigel  attacked  the  foe  separately,  early  on 
the  morning  of  August  10th,  five  days  ago.  Sigel 
fought  hard,  for  at  the  next  roll-call  only  four  hundred 
of  his  twelve  hundred  men  were  present ;  but  the 
enemy  overcame  him  with  numbers.  Lyon  at  the  head 
of  his  column  attacked  the  rebel  front,  and  throughout 
the  battle  was  utterly  reckless  of  his  own  safety  ;  twice 
his  horse  was  killed  under  him,  and  twice  he  was 
wounded.  As  he  saw  the  vast  throng  of  Confederates 
rushing  again  to  the  charge,  he  said  to  his  adjutant,  "  I 
fear  the  day  is  lost."  Schofield  answered,  "No,  Gen- 
eral, let  us  try  them  once  more."  Lyon,  bleeding  from 
his  wounds — one  of  which  was  in  the  head — swung 
his  hat  in  the  air,  and  called  on  his  troops  to  make  a 
bayonet  charge.  A  Kansas  regiment  rallied  around 
him,  and,  as  they  saw  their  Colonel  fall,  severely 
wounded,  they  cried  out,  "  AVe  are  ready  to  follow, 
who'll  lead  us  ! "  "I  will !  come  on  brave  men,"  re- 
sponded Lyon.    Just  then  a  third  bullet  struck  him  in 


142  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

the  breast,  and  the  noblest  man  of  all  the  army  fell. 
But  the  battle  did  not  stop  then  ;  six  hours  the  troops 
stood  their  ground,  and  that  after  a  night  of  marching. 
The  Kansas  men  received  honorable  mention  for  their 
bravery  that  day,  for  they  showed  the  good  Free 
State  stock  they've  sprung  from.  Major  Haldeman, 
of  the  First,  behaved  like  a  hero  throughout  the  con- 
flict, leading  his  troops  with  the  battle-cry  of  "  Forward 
for  Kansas  and  the  old  Flag !  "  Colonel  Mitchell,  of  the 
Second,  when  borne  away,  severely  wounded,  met  one 
of  his  staff,  and  called  to  him  to  support  his  regiment  at 
all  hazards.  'Twas  the  same  that  Lyon  led  when 
he  fell.  Toward  noon,  when  the  ammunition  was 
about  gone,  including  even  that  from  the  boxes  of  the 
disabled  men,  and  when  the  enemy  had  retired,  our 
troops  retreated  in  good  order,  bringing  their  wounded 
with  them,  and  reached  Springfield  at  five  o'clock.  I 
suppose  the  rebels  will  claim  a  victory,  but  so  do  we  ;  and 
a  young  doctor  affirms  that,  while  he  was  looking  for 
our  General's  body,  McCulloch  said  in  his  hearing  to  a 
Union  sergeant,  '  Your  loss  was  very  great,  but  ours 
was  four  times  yours.'  It  was  a  sad  but  glorious  day  ; 
We  cannot  rejoice  over  a  victory  so  dearly  bought ;  and 
we  say  to  each  other,  as  we  meet,  '  Xo  one  can  take 
Lyon's  place.'  "We  have  Fremont,  Sigel,  Sturgis,  and 
other  brave  men  but  none  have  the  people's  heart  as  he 
had.  His  last  act,  of  leading  a  column  against  our 
enemies,  and  his  last  words,  "  Come  on,  brave  men,"  will 
long  be  remembered.  "  Come  on,  brave  men,"  seems 
to  be  rinsing  in  the  air,  and  the  hosts  of  the  land  are 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  L43 

heeding  the  call.  I,  for  one,  can't  stay  idly  at  home 
any  longer.  I  thought  my  duty  would  be  done  by  giv- 
ing money  to  the  war,  but  it  was  a  mistake.  I've 
enlisted  in  Company  A, th  Missouri.  ' 

Mrs.  Warren's  face  grew  pale,  and  her 
hands  dropped  with  the  letter  into  her  lap. 

"What!"  said  the  Father  in  a  startled 
tone,  "  Horace  going?  Let  me  see  the  let- 
ter."    He  took  it  and  read  : 

I've  enlisted  in  Company  A, th  Missouri.  When 

the  State  is  in  peril  for  lack  of  troops,  and  a  man  like 
Lyon  pours  out  his  blood  like  spilt  water  for  the 
Union,  it's  no  time  for  common  men  to  hold  back.  I 
wonder  I've  been  insensible  to  the  need  so  long.  Don't 
fear  for  me,  dear  parents.  Somehow,  I  feel  as  safe  as 
ever  I  did  in  Uncle  George's  counting-room,  and  if  I 
should  fall,  think  of  Ellsworth,  AVinthrop,  Lyon,  and 
be  thankful  that  I  had  something  in  common  with  such 
men — a  flag,  and,  that  like  them,  I  could  defend  it !  I 
think  I  can  fight  now,  if  I  never  could  before.  If  our 
Union  goes  to  pieces,  I  might  as  well  go  with  it ;  if  it's 
saved,  I  want  to  have  a  hand  in  its  rescue.  To  hear 
the  talk  of  some  men  out  here  is  enough  to  heat  the  cool- 
est blood.  I  think  Colonel  Boernstein's  rule  is  about 
right  for  these  times.  When  they  talk  about  freedom  of 
speech  over  in  Jefferson  City  he  shrugs  his  shoulders, 
and  says :  "  All  people  zall  speak  vot  dey  tinks,  write 
vot  dey  pleze,  and  do  all  tings  dey  pleze,  only  dey  zall 


144      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

speak  nor  write  no  treason.1'  Somewhat  of  the  same 
spirit  is  Captain  "Walker,  who,  if  report  is  true, 
received  a  challenge  from  a  member  of  the  "  Pillow 
Guards  "  of  Memphis.  Have  you  seen  it  ?  The  fel- 
low writes  in  a  grandiloquent  strain,  inviting  the 
Unionists  to  meet  them  "  at  any  time,  at  any  place,  in 
any  number,  and  with  any  arms  or  equipments,"  etc., 
and  assures  them  in  conclusion,  that  "  they  will  be  cer- 
tain to  meet  the  bravest  guard  the  world  has  ever 
known."  "Walker,  who  is  Captain  of  the  "  Prentiss 
Guards  r"  at  Cairo,  writes  on  the  back  of  the  docu- 
ment, before  returning  it,  "  Prentiss  Guards  to  Pillow 
Guards.  We  accept  no  challenge  from  traitors,  but 
hang  them.  If  we  ever  meet,  you  shall  suffer  the  fate 
of  traitors."' 

They  must  be  a  hard  set  in  Memphis.  I  wonder  if 
you  Eastern  people  have  heard  that  our  flag  was  gone 
—dead  and  buried  forever?  Yet,  so  it  is.  Some 
Memphis  citizens  discovered  the  other  day  that  the 
Union  was  no  more  ;  so  they  concluded  to  bury  its 
symbol— their  country's  flag.  They  dug  a  grave  and 
heaped  the  earth  high  above  it ;  then,  as  if  conscious  of 
the  lie,  they  rushed  to  a  statue  of  Gen.  Jackson  to  erase 
the  motto  :  "  The  Federal  Union,  it  must  and  shall  be 
preserved/'  But  before  they  could  destroy  this  inscrip- 
tion a  band  of  loyal  men  gathered  unarmed  around  the 
marble,  and  declared  they  would  die  if  need  were  in 
defending  it.  So  the  motto  is  preserved,  and  the  good 
flag  still  waves. 

I  met  a  man  lately  who  had  some  strange  adventures 


THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  1  i~> 

among  the  Secessionists.  He  is  a  spy,  but  that's  kept 
secret,  for  a  '-short  shrift  and  a  ready  rope"  would 
soon  end  his  days  if  the  enemy  found  him  out.  He 
wouldn't  tell  me  where  he  had  come  from,  but  'twas 
somewhere  within  Southern  lines.  "  How  do  you 
make  your  way  among  them ?  "  I  asked.  "Oh,  easily 
enough,"  said  he,  "  I  disguise  myself,  hang  on  the  out- 
skirts of  a  camp,  lounge  with  the  loafers,  laugh  at  their 
jokes,  examine  their  arms,  count  their  numbers,  try  to 
lcara  the  plans  of  their  leaders,  listen  to  one  man  while 
I  am  talking  to  another,  join  in  the  chorus  of  a  rebel 
song,  abuse  the  Abolitionists,  slander  Lincoln  and 
Scott,  brag  on  Beauregard,  sneer  at  Northern  fight- 
ing, talk  about  the  beauty  of  Southern  ladies  and 
the  homeliness  of  Northern  ones,  call  New  York 
a  den  of  thieves  and  New  Orleans  a  paradise  of 
gallant  gentlemen — these  are  a  few  duties  belonging 
to  my  business."  I  must  have  looked  rather  dubious, 
for  he  went  on  quickly,  "  They  don't  seem  very  honor- 
able nor  desirable,  I  know  ;  but  the  country  is  served, 
and  I'm  willing  to  leave  the  question  of  honor  with 
her.  The  danger  is  a  sight  greater  and  more  disagree- 
able than  that  of  the  battle-field — it's  no  wonder  that 
while  soldiers  are  plenty,  spies  are  scarce."  "  Don't  you 
have  trouble  in  crossing  the  lines  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Well,  I 
reckon,"  said  he,  with  a  knowing  shake  of  his  head.  "  I 
was  never  so  near  givin'up  the  job,  though,  as  this  time. 
I  thought  my  day  for  gettin'  information  was  about 
over.  "  Where  were  you  ?  "  "  Wal,'  I  won't  say  exactly, 
but  'twas  on  the  edge  of  a  deep  wood  that  ran  by  the 


146      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

river,  and  the  night  so  dark  you  couldn't  tell  B  from  a 
Buffalo.  Rebel  pickets  were  -within  call,  while  I, 
creeping  on  all  fours,  hunted  up  and  down  the  bank 
for  the  boat  I  had  hidden  ten  days  before.  Every  cry 
of  a  bird  or  plunge  of  a  fish  made  me  think  of  the 
papers  I  carried,  and  the  rope  that  would  swing 
me  in  the  air  if  a  rebel  should  set  eyes  on  me. 
'Twan't  no  use  to  hunt  for  the  boat.  I'd  lost  my  bear- 
ings— knew  no  more  -where  I  was,  than  a  squirrel  that's 
gone  to  sleep  for  the  winter.  You've  jes'  got  to 
lay  down  and  float  on  the  current,  says  I  to  myself. 
There's  no  help  for  it ;  them  northern  pickets  must  be 
reached  afore  sunrise  or  you'll  be  a-swingin'  from  a  limb 
of  this  Black  Forest.  Jes'  then,  as  I  was  a  standin' 
in  the  water,  up  to  my  waist,  I  heerd  the  low  baying 
of  a  blood-hound.  It  sounded  kinder  good  now,  and 
no  mistake !  After  having  all  sorts  of  fears,  alone 
there  in  the  dark  on  the  great  river,  'twas  relieving  to 
know  for  certain  what  one  of  the  dangers  was.  I  crept 
along  down  stream,  the  beast  growling  all  the  time 
beside  me  on  shore,  when  something  struck  me  in  the 
breast,  and  I  couldn't  hinder  a  little  shout  as  I  grasped 
the  gunwale  of  my  boat  moored  under  the  bank.  "What 
with  a-stiflin'  the  noise  I  was  half  choked,  but  scrambled 
in  and  set  to  hunting  tor  the  painter  in  the  bow  to  let 
her  loose.  All  of  a  sudden  out  shone  the  moon — the 
first  light  that  had  beamed  through  all  that  black 
night — and  right  there  on  the  log  from  which  I  had 
just  unmoored  the  boat,  crouched  the  bloodhound, 
poising  for  the  spring.    I  saw  his  eyes,  red  as  flames, 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  147 

and  his  open  jaws  ;  the  next  instant  the  boat  shot  into 
the  stream,  the  creetur'  after  it.  I  tried  to  hit  him  on 
the  head  with  an  oar,  but  he  dodged.  My  craft 
careened  over,  and  he  tried  desperately  to  get  his  fore- 
paws  over  the  side,  but  only  managed  to  clinch  the 
gunwale  with  his  teeth.  •  Now  or  never  you  villain,'  I 
muttered  under  breath,  and  put  the  muzzle  of  my  re- 
volver between  his  eyes  ;  but  just  then  I  thought  of  the 
pickets  on  shore.  The  noise  of  my  pistol  might  send 
a  volley  of  rebel  shots  after  me.  The  hound  still  hung 
to  the  boat,  and  all  the  time  the  water  rushing  over 
her  side  a3  if  'twould  swamp  her.  I  threw  down 
the  pistol  and  hauled  out  my  '  Bowie '  sharp  and  shining. 
It  went  clear  through  brawn  and  muscle  to  the  nape 
of  the  brute's  neck.  He  leaped  half  way  out  the  water 
and  then  sank  out  of  sight.  Ten  minutes  pull  brought 
me  over  the  stream,  and  an  hour  afterward  I  delivered 
my  papers.  I  have  an  errand  there  again  in  a  few  days, 
and  if  ever  I  meet  a  bloodhound  again  I  shall  know 
what  to  do  with  him,"  said  the  spy  with  a  grim  look  as 
he  ended  his  story. 

But  so  many  things  come  to  mind  that  I  could 
write  on  for  a  week,  I  believe,  if  the  time  would  admit. 
We  know  not  how  soon  we  may  be  ordered  away  ; 
meantime  I  am  settling  my  affairs,  and  helping  the 
new  clerk — my  substitute  in  the  counting-room — to 
learn  the  duties  of  his  position. 

Give  Daniel  my  soldiers'  greeting,  please,  and  tell  the 
boys  they  must  come  up  and  take  our  places  if  we  don't 
return.     I  hope  you  won't  be  worried,  dear  parents. 


148  TIIE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

God  will  take  care  of  me ;  His  word  is  better  taan  our 
fears.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  have  written  before  enlist- 
ing, but  I  didn't  like  to  delay  so  long.  I  felt  I  must 
go,  after  thinking  it  over.  With  best  love  to  all,  and 
kisses  for  mother,  Aunt  Ellen,  and  Maedy,  I  remain 

dear  ones, 

Tour  ever  affectionate 

Horace. 

A  postscript  followed,  with  directions 
for  addressing  letters. 

Roger  was  the  first  to  break  silence 
when  Mr.  Warren's  voice  ceased.  "  Horace 
gone!*'  he  exclaimed.  "And  he  never 
came  home,  like  Daniel,  to  say  good-bye  !" 

"Brother  Horace  gone  to  the  war," 
echoed  Franklin  and  Maedy,  in  dismal  as- 
tonishment. 

The  parents  were  silent,  for  the  sudden 
blow  stunned  them.  Horace  had  early 
showed  a  talent  for  business,  which  de- 
veloped so  fast  that  within  a  year  after 
he  went  to  Missouri  as  clerk  in  his  uncle's 
counting-room  he  was  admitted  as  junior 
partner  in  the  firm. 

The  hopes  of  the  parents  rested  equally, 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      149 

though  differently,  on  Daniel.  His  years  of 
preparation  for  a  noble  career,  and  Horace's 
diligence,  which  promised  wealth,  were  now 
to  be  given  np,  perhaps  forever,  a  family 
sacrifice  to  the  country.  Ah,  how  many  such 
offerings  has  the  rebellion  wrung  from  the 
anguish  of  a  household  !  How  many  homes 
have  suffered  the  same  ordeal  of  wakeful 
nights  and  struggling  days  that  these  pa- 
rents endured  !  In  the  great  day,  when  the 
books  are  opened,  and  the  accounts  reck- 
oned, whose  will  be  the  sum  of  a  nation's 
sorrow?  Who  will  be  charged  with  the 
tears  and  moans,  the  wearing  suspense,  the 
life-long  loss,  the  lonely  chambers  and  deso- 
late firesides  of  a  great  people  ?  Pray, 
dear  children,  that  the  Great  Judge  will 
show  mercy  to  these  guilty  ones  before  that 
terrible  day  shall  come,  that  they  may 
repent  of  their  crime  and  be  forgiven. 
"  For  God  shall  bring  every  work  into 
judgment.  To  Him  belongeth  vengeance 
and  recompense." 


Chapter  XI. 


PRIVATEERS     AND     TIIEIR     CRIMES. 

The  good  resulting  from  defeat  hoped 
for  in  Daniel's  letter,  was  soon  realized  by 
a  new  uprising  of  the  people,  for  the 
people,  now  more  resolved  than  ever,  de- 
termined that  the  great  rebellion  should 
never  destroy  their  Government  nor  divide 
their  country.  With  one  accord  they  en- 
dorsed the  action  of  that  u  Grand  Union 
Convention "  spoken  of  by  a  Methodist 
Bishop  in  the  West.*  "We  haven't  its 
report  by  telegraph,*'  he  said  in  preaching, 
"  but  it  was  held  amid  the  fastnesses  of 
the  everlasting  hills.  The  Rocky  Mountains 
presided,  the  mighty  Mississippi  made  the 
motion,  the  Alleghany  mountains  seconded 
it,  and  every  mountain  and  hill,  river  and 
valley  in  this  vast  country  sent  up  a  unani- 

*  Ames. 

150 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      151 

mous  voice,  ■  Resolved,  That  we  are  one 
and  inseparable  now  and  forever,  and  that 
what  God  has  joined  together  no  man 
shall  put  asunder.'  And  all  the  people  re- 
sponded '  Amen.'  " 

"  We  will  take  our  glorious  flag,"  said 
another  Methodist  Bishop* — ''the  flag  of  our 
country — and  nail  it  just  below  the  cross! 
That  is  high  enough  !  There  let  it  wave,  as 
it  waved  of  old;  around  it  let  us  gather. 
First  Christ,  then  our  country."  Another 
minister,  who  was  preaching  at  a  camp- 
meeting,  when  the  news  of  our  defeat  at 
Bull  Run  was  received,  closed  his  sermon, 
saying,  "  Brethren,  we  had  better  adjourn 
this  camp-meeting  ;  I  propose  that  we  go 
home,  and  drill  without  delay."  The 
advice  of  these  good  men  was  followed  by 
whole  regiments  of  Christian  men.  The 
South  said,  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run — or, 
as  they  term  it,  Manassas — that  the  war  was 
mostly  done,  the  spirit  of  the  nation  broken. 
But  the  North  replied  by  raising  sixty  thou- 
sand men  in  two  days.     The  President's 

*  Simpson. 


152       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

"  War  Message"  stated  that  not  one  com- 
mon sailor  or  soldier  was  known  to  have 
deserted  his  flag, — a  most  honorable  re- 
cord for  our  defenders  by  land  and  sea. 

"  Sixty  thousand  men  !  I  guess  that'll  set 
'em  to  thinking  down  South,"  exclaimed 
Eoger,  as  his  father  mentioned  the  fact  in 
one  of  his  "  war-stories." 

"  Why,  that's  a  city  full,"  said  Franklin. 
"  Do  all  these  men  go  to  Washington  ?" 

u  Yes,  they  are  sent  there  first,"  said 
Mr.  Warren.  "  There  is  hardly  a  town  in 
the  North  but  is  busy  now,  raising  regi- 
ments and  batteries,  recruiting  and  equip- 
ping the  army  as  fast  as  the  work  can  be 
done." 

''But  don't  you  remember  the  papers 
said  Washington  was  full  of  soldiers  after 
the  battle  of  Bull  Kun?"  replied  the  boy, 
';  Where  do  they  put  all  these  new  ones  ? 
How  can  they  possibly  take  care  of  so 
many  ?  " 

"It  does  seem  an  undertaking,  but  they 
do  it,  and  well,  too,  since  McClellan  has 
taken  charge  of  the  army.  Do  you  remem- 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  153 

ber  I  told  you  awhile  ago  about  Western 
Virgina,  where  Rosecrans  gained  his  victo- 
ries, and  Garnett,  the  rebel  general,  was 
killed?" 

li  Yes,  we  remember/*'  said  the  chil- 
dren. 

"Well,  McClellan  was  then  head  of  the 
Department  of  Western  Virginia,  but  now 
he  has  that  of  Washington  and  north-east- 
ern Virginia,  while  Rosecrans  takes  his 
place  in  Western  Virginia.  And  McClel- 
lan has  been  reorganizing  the  army  of  the 
Potomac  most  thoroughly,  arranging  and 
dividing  it  in  such  a  way  as  will  make 
it  orderly  and  easily  used.  In  an  army, 
you  know,  the  smallest  division  is  a  com- 
pany, formed  of  a  hundred  men  ;  then  ten 
companies  or  a  thousand  men,  make  a  full 
regiment.  Beyond  this  our  army  has 
brigades,  divisions,  corps,  each  with  its 
commander,  but  all  subject  to  the  General 
who  controls  the  whole. 

Beside  our  soldiers,  we  have  other  means 
to  uphold  the  Government.  An  order  from 
the  President  has  been  issued  lately,  which 


1-54  THE  BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

forbids  all  buying  and  selling  between  us 
and  the  rebels.  They  used  to  get  many 
things  from  the  North — shoes,  cloth,  and 
other  manufactured  articles.  But  now 
they  must  go  without  them. 

"  Jolly  soldiers  they'll  be,  without  coats 
and  shoes,"  said  Roger  drily. 

"' But,  father,  we  get  cotton  and  other 
things  from  them.  We  shall  be  badly  off 
too,  shan't  we  ?  w  asked  Franklin. 

"  Yes,  but  the  order  won't  press  so 
heavily  on  us,  for  with  our  means  of  com- 
merce we  can  '  manage,'  as  the  Yankees 
say,  to  get  cotton,  sugar,  and  rice  from 
other  countries.  But  the  South  can't  send 
out  her  ships  regularly  on  account  of  the 
blockade,  you  know.  They  trv  to  '  run  ? 
it,  and  are  often  caught." 

"  Yes,  there  was  the  Sumter,"  said  Frank- 
lin. u  What  an  excitement  we  had  about 
her.  To  think  she  has  destroyed  so  many 
vessels  and  is  still  abroad.     It's  too  bad." 

u  And  the  '  Sumter '  isn't  the  first  or 
only  one.  There  was  the  '  Savannah '  that 
ran  out  of  Charleston  Harbor.     One  day 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      155 

as  she  was  cruising  about,  a  brig  hove  in 
sight.  The  Savannah  thought  she  was 
going  to  secure  a  splendid  prize  in  the 
shape  of  a  richly  laden  merchantman.  But 
the  stranger  proved  to  be  a  government 
vessel,  and  so  the  tables  were  turned; 
instead  of  being  chased,  the  brig  turned 
upon  the  Savannah,  firing  now  and  then  to 
let  her  know  she  was  expected  to  stop. 
After  awhile  our  vessel  came  up  close 
enough  to  '  board  her,'  and  all  hands  sur- 
rendered without  bloodshed.  That  was  the 
last  we  heard  of  the  Savannah." 

"  '  That  reminds  me  of  a  little  story,'  as 
President  Lincoln  says,"  rejoined  Franklin. 
"  I  found  it  only  the  other  day.  The  wife  of 
a  Captain  McGilvery,  whose  ship  was 
boarded  by  these  rebel  pirates.  The  ves- 
sel was  called  the  Mary  Goodell.  The 
pirates  told  Mrs.  McGilvery  they  must  have 
some  '  goodies,' — sugar,  crackers,  and  such 
things,  as  their  stock  was  getting  low. 
She  said  she  had  nothing  for  them  but 
arsenic;  she  would  gladly  give  them  a  good 
supply  of  that,  but  they  could  have  noth- 


156  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

ing  else  from  her.  The  American  flag  was 
lying  near,  and  they  tried  to  secure  it  ;  but 
she  sprang  forward  and  threw  it  into  a 
chest.  Then  she  stood  on  the  cover  and 
told  them  if  they  carried  away  the  flag, 
they  must  take  her  with  it.  They  didn't 
wish  the  company  of  a  loyal-spirited 
woman,  so  they  left  her  in  silence." 

"  Good  for  Mrs.  McGive-freely,  or  what 
you  may  call  her,"  added  Roger. 

u  What  was  the  other  privateer  you 
spoke  of?  Oh,  the  'Sumter.'  Tell  us 
more  about  her,  will  you,  father?*'  asked 
Roger,  who  dearly  loved  anything  like  a 
1  yarn,'  and  whose  favorite  acquaintance 
was  old  Jack  Roper,  a  sailor  that  after 
cruising  over  the  oceans  had  by  some  odd 
chance  come  to  end  his  days  at  inland 
Fairbrook.  Jack  had  the  sailor's  license  to 
stretch  a  point,  and  his  stories  were  more- 
over sometimes  colored  with  whiskey;  but 
they  were  none  the  less  interesting  to 
Rogers  ear. 

"All,  the  Sumter!"  said  his  father; 
"  she's  a  troublesome  customer  and  a  swift 
one.     She  ran  the  blockade  last  summer." 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  157 

"  But  why  did  they  let  her  out,  papa?" 
interrupted  Maedy. 

,"  Oh,  they  were  trying  to  catch  her, 
dear,  but  she  got  through  the  blockading 
line  at  the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi,  a 
hard  place  to  watch.  You  know  how  it 
looks  in  your  geography." 

"  Yes/'  said  Maedy,  pleased  to  show  her 
knowledge  of  the  place,  "I  remember; 
there  are  two  or  three  mouths,  and  they 
are  broad  ones,  I  suppose,  though  they're  so 
near  together  on  the  map." 

"■The  Sumter  slipped  through  one  of 
them,  and  darted  about  the  gulf,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Warren,  taking  a  dozen  vessels 
in  almost  as  many  days.  She  went  among 
the  West  India  Islands,  where  there  are 
always  plenty  of  northern  merchantmen 
with  money  and  rich  cargoes.  The  Sumter 
would  open  her  big  guns  on  them,  and 
then  they  must  either  sink  or  give  them- 
selves up.  The  Government  has  sent  ships 
after  her,  but  she's  been  too  swift  for  them 
thus  far ;  and  the  probability  is  that  Sem- 
mes,  her  captain,  will  become  a  hero  with 


15S  THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

the  southerners ;  a  bolder,  fiercer  pirate 
never  sailed  the  sea." 

"A  gallus  hero  !  "  exclaimed  Roger,  who 
picked  up  "  slang"  no  one  knew  how  ;  but 
as  many  good  people  thought  that  Semmes 
deserved  to  swing  from  the  gallows  for  his 
crimes,  perhaps  Roger's  title  was  not  mis- 
placed. "If  I  were  a  man,  I'd  take  my 
choice  on  the  other  side.  "Wouldn't  a  fel- 
low feel  gay,  now,  to  be  thumping  away 
at  Fort  Hatteras  in  one  of  our  great  ships- 
of-war  ?     I'd  like  to  be  there." 

"  But  the  fort  is  taken,"  said  Mr.  Warren. 
"  What  do  you  know  about  the  Hatteras 
expedition  ?  " 

"Oh,  I've  heard  them  talking  about  it 
Old  Walker"— 

"  Roger  !  "  said  his  mother,  reprovingly. 

11  Well,  mother,  I  wont ;  but  it  does 
sound  queer  though  to  say  Mr.  Walker, — 
he  talks  ever  so  much  about  the  war; 
sometimes  he  spends  all  Geography  hour  in 
showiug  us  where  the  battles  were  fought, 
and  describing  them.  He  told  us  of  Gen- 
eral Butler's  going  there  with  the  soldiers, 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      159 

and  Commodore  Sfcringham  with  the  sail- 
ors. They  set  out  in  August,  and  when 
they  came  to  North  Carolina  there  were 
two  new  forts  ready  to  blow  them  up." 

"Our  fleet  numbered  twelve  vessels, 
with  about  eight  hundred  men  ;  the  rebels 
were  seven  hundred.'7 

"  Yes,"  said  Eoger,  "  but  their  gunners 
weren't  lively ;  they  couldn't  keep  up  with 
Butler.  I  saw  a  picture  of  the  vessels- 
shells  bowling  in  the  air  like  sky  rockets  on 
a  Fourth  of  July.  The  rebels  didn't  care  to 
be  long  out  in  that  rain.  It  was  uncom- 
mon even  for  an  August  thunder  shower ; 
1  warm,  but  not  exactly  mild,'  as  the  man 
said  when  the  boiler  burst.  Their  commo- 
dore gave  up. 

"  Who  was  he? "  asked  Franklin. 
"  A  man  named  Barron,"  said  Mr.  War- 
ren.   "  He  used  to  be  in  our  navy." 

"Did  he?  Well,  he  came  back  to  us 
very  suddenly.  Butler  took  the  forts  and 
held  all  hands  as  prisoners  of  war." 

"Yes,  that  expedition  is  a  grand  success 
—a  triumph  for  the  national  cause,"  added 


160       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

Mr.  Warren.     "  The  rebels  will  soon  find 

their  ship  Secession  sinking  if  our  boys 
keep  at  work  scuttling  her  in  that  fashion. 
It's  a  long  way  round  rebeldom,  but  our 
soldiers  are  enclosing  it  with  a  '  picket ' 
fence,  as  they,  obeying  the  command, 
'  stand  still  and  go  forward,'  as  the  old  He- 
brews were  commanded  to  do.  Last  spring 
the  rebels  thought  they  would  fight  us  on 
Northern  ground ;  but  after  six  months 
hard  work  they  haven't  pushed  us  out  of 
Virginia — indeed,  they  are  giving  much  of 
it  up  to  our  forces.  Rosecrans  is  fast 
loosing  their  hold  of  Western  Virginia." 

"  That's  where  their  General  Garnett  was 
killed/'  said  Franklin. 

"Yes,  at  Carrick's  Ford.  Our  men  had 
several  skirmishes  afterwards,  and  in  Septem- 
ber they  gained  another  victory  at  Carni- 
fex  Ferry,  when  Rosecrans  pounced  sud- 
denly down  with  ten-thousand  men  upon 
Floyd,  a  man  who,  while  in  the  service  of 
our  Government,  robbed  it  of  a  million 
dollars  or  more.  Rosecrans  ordered  a  re- 
connoisance, — 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      1G1 

"A  what,"  exclaimed  Roger,  "  that's 
a  tongue-twister  ;  do  they  expect  soldiers 
to  learn  all  their  long  names  ?" 

"  It's  a  military  word,  and  means  to  go 
round  a  place  and  look  at  it  carefully. 
They  determined  to  make  an  assault  next 
morning,  but  Floyd  prevented  them ;  what 
do  you  think  he  did  V 

il  Skedaddled  ?"  guessed  Roger. 

"  Right  the  first  time,  Roger,  and  he  did 
so  in  such  a  hurry,  that  he  forgot  to  take 
his  baggage  and  small  arms  with  him. 
Afterwards  he  published  a  droll  dispatch, 
saying  if  he  could  have  had  six  thousand 
men,  he  would  have  destroyed  the  enemy, 
and  taken  the  rest  prisoners." 

u  Hi !"  said  Roger,  u  kill  'em  all  and  take 
the  rest  prisoners  !  That's  a  gay  way.  I 
hope  they'll  get  just  so  many  and  no  more 
as  long  as  we  fight  them  in  Virginia." 

"Ah,  but  it  wasn't  '  gay'  a  little  later, 
at  Ball's  Bluff*.  There  we  lost  eleven 
hundred  men,  nearly  half  of  them  taken 
prisoners.  Nothing  since  Bull  Run  has 
been  so  sorrowful  as  that." 


162  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

"One  would  think,"  said  Aunt  Ellen, 
looking  up  from  sewing,  tl  that  the  *  BV  of 
Virginia  were  had  places  for  Union  soldiers, 
—Big  Bethel,  Bull  Run,  and  Ball's  Bluff 
where  Baker  fell ;  I  used  to  read  of  him  in 
the  papers,  when  he  was  a  senator.  His 
death  adds  one  more  to  the  list  of  good  and 
talented  men  sacrificed  in  this  war." 

u  I  heard  somethiug  ahout  our  soldiers 
being  deceived  at  Ball's  Bluff,''  said  Frank- 
lin. 

"  Yes,  the  scouts  saw  the  moonlight 
glimmering  through  rows  of  trees,  and 
mistook  it  for  a  line  of  tents.  Col.  Devens 
had  to  defend  himself  against  a  troop  of 
rebel  cavalry,  and  fell  back  to  the  Bluff, 
to  wait  for  the  aid  of  Col.  Baker  with  his 
California  regiment.  When  they  came  up 
in  the  afternoon  the  battle  began  in  earnest, 
and  though  it  went  against  us,  the  Union 
colonel  was  the  hero  of  the  day.  He  was 
foremost  in  the  fight,  minding  the  shower 
of  bullets  aimed  at  him  no  more  than  so 
many  snow-flakes.  The  men,  'twas  said, 
were   ordered  to  lie   down,   between  the 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      163 

firing,  but  Baker  kept  his  position.  When 
a  ball  whizzed  close  by  his  head,  he  turned 
to  his  soldiers  and  showing  them  the  shooter, 
said,  calmly,  '  See  if  some  of  you  can't  hit 
him.'  At  one  time  he  rushed  to  serve  a 
cannon,  which  was  exposed  to  the  ene- 
my's fire  so,  that  every  one  near  it  fell. 
His  daring  inspired  others,  and  after  a  few 
minutes  he  was  able  to  leave  it  to  the  care 
of  men  willing  to  imitate  his  boldness.  But 
we  all  wish  now  that  he  had  taken  better 
care  of  himself;  for  a  high-minded  senator, 
a  talented  orator,  and  a  pure-hearted 
Christian — and  Colonel  Baker  was  all 
these — is  no  light  loss  to  the  nation.  You 
children  will  not  often  hear  his  name  ;  had 
he  lived,  it  would  have  been  a  household 
word  throughout  the  land.  It  will  ever 
shine  in  the  history  of  that  defeat.  He 
fought  with  tireless  bravery  for  several 
hours,  and  fell  at  last  covered  with  wounds, 
dying  in  an  instant.  Then  our  men  began 
to  waver.  As  they  were  met  and  slaugh- 
tered by  fresh  troops,  they  tried  to  escape, 
but  in  the  darkness,  the  bluffand  river  were 


164  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

not  easily  passed.  Some  of  the  scattered 
force  were  rowed  back  in  a  scow  by  an  old 
negro  ;  some  leaped  into  the  water,  while,  in 
the  confusion  of  embarking,  an  overloaded 
boat  sank  in  the  stream.  We  lost  full  half 
our  force  on  that  dark  day,  and  yet  those 
who  were  left  did  not  lose  heart,  for  when 
their  Colonel  addressed  them  a  few  days 
later,  and  asked  if  they  were  ready  to  fight 
again  next  week,  to-morrow,  that  very  day, 
they  responded  '  Yes,  yes,'  with  cheers. 
When  some  wonder  was  expressed  that  any 
resistance  had  been  made  in  the  face  of  such 
disaster,  Col.  Devens  said  that,  to  a  foreign 
foe  be  might  submit,  to  traitors  never.  But 
the  battle  was  not  all  disaster.  Our  soldiers 
there  showed  themselves  willing  to  die  ; 
they  were  courageous,  without  the  hope  of 
success,  and  you  remember  how  much  dis- 
couraging talk  we  heard  after  the  Bull  Run 
defeat ;  the  army  had  lost  its  spirit,  'twas 
said  ;  the  men  would  not  fight  well.  It  was 
a  falsehood  which  Baker  and  his  followers 
answered  by  their  behavior,  and  that  twenty- 
first  of  October  will  be  memorable  in  our  his- 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  I  flfi 

tory  as  a  day  of  deeds.  While  men  in  the  East 
were  showing  ns  how  soldiers  should  die, 
our  Western  troops  were  driving  and  con- 
quering the  enemy.  In  Kentucky,  the  rebel 
General  Zollicoffer,  who  has  been  molest- 
ing the  State,  attacked  Camp  Wild  Cat, 
where  our  men  were  organizing.  They 
fell  upon  him  and  his  seven  hundred  men, 
and  drove  them  so  far  back  that  they  did 
not  care  to  return.  In  Missouri,  too,  we 
were  successful  in  an  engagement  at  Fred- 
ericton,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State. 
Even  Ball's  Bluff  will,  I  think,  work  out 
some  advantage  for  us,  judging  from  its 
effect  on  the  rebels.  Their  heads  are  so 
filled  with  vanity  that  they've  done  little 
since  but  boast,  dwindling  their  own  num- 
bers and  enlarging  ours,  till  the  Southerners 
are  ready  to  think  beating  Yankees  is  the 
easiest  work  they  can  do. 

"Roger,"  said  Frank,  " what's  that  you 
were  singing  to-day  about  the  '  gallant 
young  Southerner  ?'  Where  you  rake  up 
such  things  is  more  than  I  can  tell." 

' u  Oh,  that's  a  jolly  one  ;   I  only  know 


166       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

two  verses  though.  There's  a  long  string 
of  them."  "Sing  us  what  you  can,  do, 
Roger,  that's  a  good  fellow,"  said  Maedy 
persuadingly. 

u  Oh,  well,  if  you  want  me  to,"  said  the 
brother  in  his  rough,  good-natured  way, 
"  Let's  see — what's  the  begining  ?"  And 
he  sung  to  a  rollicking  air  these  verses : — 

"  I'm  a  dashing  young  Southerner,  gallant  and  tall ; 
I  am  willing  to  tight  but  unwilling  to  fall ; 
I  am  willing  to  fight,  but  I  think  I  may  say, 
That  I'm  still  more  in  favor  of  running  away  ; 
So  forth  from  my  quarters  I  fearlessly  go, 
"With  my  face  firmly  set,  and  my  back  to  the  foe. 

"  The  life  of  a  trooper  is  pleasure  and  ease, 
Just  suited  to  sprigs  of  the  old  F.  F.  Y's  ; 

"  I  can't  remember  the  rest  of  that,"  said 
Roger,  pausing. 

"  Sometimes  I  put  Sambo  and  Cuffee  and  Clew, 
'Twixt  me  and  the  Yankees,  who  shoot  into  them ; 
But  when  at  close  quarters  with  pistol  and  knife, 
I  find  it  much  safer  to  run  for  my  life, 
So  the  dust  from  my  horse-shoes  I  haughtily  throw, 
As  I  dash  from  the  field  with  my  back  to  the  foe." 


Chapter  XII. 


REFUGEES     AND      THEIR   'SORROWS. 

"Mamma,"  said  Meady,  looking  up  from 

the  sock  she  had  been  knitting  intently, 

it  was  her  first  effort  in  that  direction,  and 
if  it  succeeded  was  to  be  a  Christmas  present 
to  Papa  of  a  pair  of  winter  socks.  She  had 
courageously  given  up  the  Saturday  after- 
noon play,  to  sit  down  by  her  mother,  who 
was  making  some  flannel  shirts  to  go  to 
Daniel,  far  away  in  camp. 

11  Well,  deary,"— 

'•'  Oh,  here's  a  mistake— I  forget  so  about 
the  ribbing— can  you  maKe  that  into  a  seam 
stitch,  mamma  ?" 

"  Let  me  see  it,  Maedy."  Meantime,  as 
the  child  sat  waiting  for  the  error  to  be 
righted,  the  thought  it  had  driven  out  came 
hack  again. 

"  Mamma,"  she.said  again,  "  I  wasthink- 
167 


1GS  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

ing  about  the  rebels  ;  sometimes  I  do  really 
feel  sorry  for  them,  for  when  we  get  a 
victory,  or  when  people  talk  against  them 
I  think,  '  suppose  you  were  a  little  rebel, 
how  sadly  you  would  feel';  and  then  I  pity 
them  ;  though  they  are  so  bad,  I  suppose  it 
isn't  just  right.' ; 

"Oh,  yes,  my  darling  it  is  right,"  said 
Mrs.  Warren,  earnestly.  "  We  must  pity 
such  people  and  love  them  too,  for  God 
does.  I  am  sorry  for  the  Southern  people 
from  my  heart.  It  pains  me  to  think  of  all 
the  suffering  this  war  has  brought  upon 
them.  Most  of  us  in  the  Xorth  bear  them 
no  ill-will,  in  spite  of  the  hatred  they  often 
show  for  us." 

u  But  why  do  our  soldiers  kill  them 
then,7'  asked  Maedy  ? 

u  Because  the  rebels  are  determined  to 
carry  out  a  wicked  plan.  They  want  to 
destroy  our  nation.  And  never  mind  how 
unwilling  we  might  be  to  fight,  yet  the 
Northern  men  would  be  cowards  if  they 
quietly  sat  still  and  saw  their  Government 
ruined,  their  homes  broken  up,  and  their 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       169 

lives  in  clanger.  They  must  fight  for  these ; 
they  hate  the  rebellion,  but  not  therefore 
the  rebels ;  the  wrong,  yet  not  the  wrong 
doer." 

"  I  don't  see  how  they  can  do  that,7'  said 
the  little  girl  with  a  questioning  look. 

a  Perhaps  you'll  understand  what  I  mean 
if  we  try  to  imagine  how  God  regards  a 
wicked  man.  We  know  that  our  good 
Father  hates  sin  ;  but  He  hates  none  of  his 
creatures ;  not  even  the  worst  of  us.  He 
tells  all  to  come  to  Him  ;  c  whosoever  will, 
let  him  come,'  He  says,  and  he  has  promised 
to  '  love  us  freely.7  And  all  his  followers 
are  trying  to  destroy  sin.  Now  Union  people 
for  the  most  part  feel  tenderly  to  our 
brethren  in  the  South,  though  ready  at  the 
same  time  to  fight  for  their  country.  I 
certainly  would  rejoice  to  help  their  wound- 
ed if  I  could.;  and  so  would  most  of  the 
'vile  Yankees'  as  they  call  us.  I've  heard 
of  a  Methodist  chaplain,  who  both  prays 
and  fights.  Whenever  he  fires  at  a  rebel  he 
exclaims,  "And  may  God  have  mercy  upon 
your   soul."     That's  what  I  should  say,  I 


170      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS 

think,  if  I  had  to  do  such  work.  You 
might  go  through  all  the  loyal  States  and 
hardly  find  as  much  bitterness  and  cruelty 
toward  our  foes  as  one  common  rebel  cher- 
ishes against  Union  men.  Here's  the  knit- 
ting.    Remember  two  plain,  one  seam." 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Maedy,  as  she  began  again 
to  knit ;  as  soon,  however,  as  the  work 
went  smoothly,  her  thoughts  went  back  to 
her  mother's  words.  u  What  makes  you 
think  that  the  Southern  people  feel  so, 
mamma?  I  know  we've  heard  stories  of 
how  badly  they  treated  our  men,  but  don't 
you  suppose  they  tell  such  things  about  us 
too?" 

"  Yes,  but  not  so  many  true  chics  ;  for 
we're  free,  my  darling,  and  freedom  helps 
men  to  be  just  and  kind,  and  slavery 
makes  them  unjust  and  cruel.  -  That  was 
made  plain  long  ago  in  the  world's  history, 
but  never  more  so  than  by  the  spirit 
shown  in  the  conduct  of  this  war.  The 
Southerners  try  to  injure  us  in  wa}~s  that 
are  far  from  honorable.  I  They  poison  the 
food  of  our  men  ;  they  burn  our  railroad 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       171 

bridges,  and  put  stones  on  the  track  to  de- 
stroy whole  car  loads  of  defenceless  men, 
women  and  children ;  they  have  refused 
to  let  their  surgeons  attend  to  our  wound- 
ed on  the  battle-field;  they  make  rings 
and  trinkets  out  of  the  bones  of  Union 
men,  and  their  papers  are  full  of  angry 
abuse  and  threatenings.  You  heard  some- 
thing of  their  cruelties  at  Bull  Run.  After 
the  battle  they  obeyed  the  order  to  care 
for  our  wounded,  but  that  was  not  issued 
early  enough  to  restrain  their  natural 
ferocity.  Long  before  the  rebellion  began 
they  persecuted  people  who  disliked  slav- 
ery or  loved  the  Union." 

"  How  did  they  ?  "  asked  Maedy  ;  "  What 
did  they  do?" 

li  I'll  tell  you  a  story  about  a  poor  fami- 
ly that  suffered  at  their  hands,"  said  the 
mother,  after  a  moment's  hesitation  ;  and  she 
laid  down  her  work  and  took  the  little  girl 
on  her  lap.  "Then  we  won't  talk  any 
more  about  such  things,"  she  added,  ''for 
we  can't  help  them,  and  they  only  make  us 
feel  sad.     Not  long  ago  there  was  a  family 


172  TIIE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

living  near  a  village  down  in  Arkansas.  The 
father  and  mother  came  from  New  Eng- 
land,  had  bought  a  farm  in  the  South,  and 
lived  there  comfortably  as  we  live  here. 
They  had  a  little  girl  like  you,  darling — 
we'll  call  her  Maedy,  and  two  boys — they 
shall  be  named  Franklin  and  Roger.  Be- 
sides the  farm  the  father  had  a  large  yard 
full  of  lumber  or  boards,  and  these  he  kept 
for  sale.  By  and  bye  the  rebellion  began 
to  be  talked  of,  and  then  the  father  felt 
afraid,  for  the  neighbors  hated  Union  men, 
and  had  killed  several  of  them.  So  he 
kissed  his  children  one  night  as  they  lay 
asleep,  and  went  away,  telling  his  wife  to 
come  after  him  when  she  could,  and  com- 
forting her  with  the  hope  that  they  might 
have  a  happy  home  again  in  New  England. 
When  the  rebels  found  he  had  gone,  they 
entered  the  house  and  destroyed  everything 
they  could  lay  their  hands  on,  even  to  the 
food  the  mother  had  saved  for  the  children  ; 
for  they  are  not  ashamed  of  such  cruelties. 
1  Go  after  your  husband/  they  said,  '  we 
won't  have  vou  in  the  State  another  week.' 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       173 

The  poor  woman  sorrowfully  packed  up 
the  few  things  left  her  ;  but  even  then  her 
persecutors  robbed  her  of  some  of  her 
boxes.  She  hired  a  waggon  to  go  a  little 
way,  and  thus  she  and  the  little  ones  were 
driven  out  of  their  home.  She,  too,  start- 
ed for  New  England,  but  found  many  hard- 
ships to  endure,  many  rough  words,  and 
perilous  escapes  before  she  reached  the 
Free  States.  Once  out  from  under  the 
black  cloud  of  Slavery,  a  little  sunshine 
brightened  her  path,  and  kind-hearted 
people  helped  her  now  and  then,  till  at 
last  she  arrived  at  Cleveland,  a  city 
in  Ohio,  a  thousand  miles  from  her  Arkan- 
sas home  ;  and  she  had  more  than  a  thou- 
sand still  to  go  before  she  could  reach  her 
friends  in  New  England.  The  children 
were  barefooted  and  ragged.  They  had 
no  garments  but  those  they  wore  when  the 
rebels  turned  them  out,  and  the  mother  had 
only  two  dollars  left  in  her  pocket.  The 
good  superintendent  of  the  railroad  gave 
her  a  free  ticket  for  herself  and  children, 
and  other  kind-hearted  gentlemen  added  to 


174      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

her  stock  of  money.  She  seemed  very 
grateful,  but  hesitated  to  accept  their 
gifts,  particularly  the  money.  The  gentle- 
men told  her  to  keep  it,  and  sent  her 
on  her  way  eastward.  One  of  them  wrote 
down  her  story  as  she  told  it  to  him,  but 
whether  the  wandering  father  ever  rejoined 
his  family  I  cannot  tell." 

Maedy's  eyelids  were  brimming  with 
tears  as  the  mother  ended  her  story.  Mrs. 
Warren  tried  to  divert  her  thoughts,  when 
Aunt  Ellen's  voice  was  heard  calling,  and 
'she  left  the  room  to  see  what  was  needed. 

Koger  had  come  in  during  the  recital, 
and  perhaps  from  a  boyish  desire  to  add  to 
the  effect  of  what  had  been  said,  he  now 
exclaimed — "  Hoh,  I  know  worse  things 
than  that  about  'em.  Down  South  they 
caught  a  lot  of  Union  men  and  made  'em 
enlist.  Some  said  they  wouldn't,  then  the 
'  rebs'  took  'em,  cropped  the  hair  all  off  their 
heads,  cut  up  their  backs  with  a  leather 
lash,  and  put  'em  in  prison  on  bread  and 
water  for  a  month.  But  they  got  out,  and 
lived  to  tell  their  story  up  North.     They 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      175 

w  feren't  so  hard  up  though  as  five  fellows  in 
Pensacola.  They  had  to  join  the  army  too  ; 
three  said  they'd  rather  die ;  so  the  '  rebs' 
swung  'em  off  from  the  nearest  tree.  One 
of  the  other  two,  when  he  saw  what  was 
done  couldn't  keep  still,  but  called  the  'rebs.' 
cowards  and  traitors.  Then  they  took  a 
pot  of  tar,  and  poured  it  all  over  him  and 
set  lire  to  it !     The  men" — 

u  Oh,  oh,"  cried  Maedy,  half  screaming. 
With  a  shudder  she  ran  and  hid  her  horri- 
fied face  in  her  mother's  dress. 

"  Roger,  stop,"  commanded  Mrs.  Warren, 
who  had  re-entered  the  room  in  time  to 
hear  his  last  words.  "  How  can  you  be  so 
cruel  ?  Let  me  never  again  hear  you  repeat 
anything  simply  to  give  your  sister  pain," 
she  continued  in  a  tone  of  displeasure. 

u  Why,  mother,"  said  Roger,  disturbed 
himself  at  the  trouble  he  had  caused,  (t  I 
didn't  make  them  up ;  they're  true ;  besides, 
I  didn't  think  she'd  feel  so.  I  wouldn't  have 
told  her  if  I'd  thought"— 

"  You  did  wrong,  Roger ;  go  away  and 


17G      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

think  a  .lttle  now ;  go,"  she  repeated  more 
decidedly,  "  leave  us  alone." 

It  took  all  the  good  mother's  care  to 
divert  the  little  girl  through  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon.  Ever  and  anon  the  sober  look  on 
her  face  showed  that  her  thoughts  had  flit- 
ted back  to  the  painful  things  she  had  heard. 
After  Mrs.  Warren  had  told  many  pleasant 
stories,  and  played  some  little  plays,  such 
as  "  what's  my  thought  like,"  and  "  Hove 
my  love  with  an  A,"  she  persuaded  Maedy 
to  leave  her  knitting,  and  go  with  Frank 
into  the  wood-shed  where  he  was  to  finish 
a  doll's  chair  long  ago  begun. 

While  they  were  still  busy  in  the  shed, 
Mr.  Warren  came  in,  and  soon  after  the 
bell  rang  for  tea. 

"  Children,"  said  the  mother  at  table, 
"  father  brought  us  home  something  to- 
night,— something  good, — guess  what  it  is." 

Several  efforts  were  made  to  divine  it, 
but  without  success. 

u  Did  he  bring  it  from  the  village,"  asked 
Maedy,  who  had  sharpened  her  guessing 
faculty  by  playing  "  Twenty  Questions." 


THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  177 

«  Yes." 

••  Was  it  made  there?" 

"  No." 

"  Where  then,"  asked  the  boys? 

u  Hundreds  of  miles  from  here." 

Then  followed  more  guessing  and  more 
mystifying. 

"  Why,  what  dull  heads !"  said  the  mother 
pleasantly.  "It  came  from  the  West.  Now 
guess  again." 

"  Oh,  oh,  I  know,"  they  all  exclaimed  ; 
"from  Horace,  a  letter  from  Horace." 

Yes,  they  had  found  it.  They  clamored 
to  have  it  read,  but  first  the  table  must  be 
cleared,  the  dishes  put  away,  the  curtains 
drawn,  and  the  Franklin  stove  replenish- 
ed with  a  hickory  log.  Then  Aunt  Ellen 
read  Horace's  letter. 


Chapter  XIII. 


A     DEFENCE     AND     AN     ASSAULT. 

Ix  Camp  near  Rolla, 

"Nov.  — th,  1861.^ 
Dear  Ones  at  Home  :  Your  letters,  with  Daniel's 
enclosed,  have,  I  believe,  all  come  to  hand,  though  not 
without  some  delay.  \Ye  have  been  '  od  the  go'  much 
of  the  time,  and  twice  our  mails  have  come  near  falling 
into  rebel  hands.  You  can't  think  what  an  excitement 
there  is  in  camp  when  a  mail  comes  in.  Till  the  boys 
get  to  reading  their  letters  and  papers  it's  like  Bedlam 
let  loose.  I've  seen  great,  rough  men,  who  never 
thought  of  flinching  iu  a  fight,  fairly  cry  with  disap- 
pointment, on  finding  their  names  weren't  read  off  on 
the  mail  list — while  others  are  rubbing  the  tears  from 
their  eyes,  as  they  read  the  affectionate  words  of  the 
home  letter.  I'm  counted  the  luckiest  man  of  our 
company,  having  received  the  biggest  mail  thus  far. 
You'd  laugh,  too,  to  see  us  answering  our  correspon- 
dents. Just  now  I'm  writing  on  a  drum -head,  quite  a 
convenient  desk,  only  the  rim  of  the  drum  is  in  the  way 
a  little,  and  makes  my  letters  too  up-and-down.  I 
begged  the  use  of  it  from  our  good-natured  drummer 
boy.  As  the  mail  goes  out  to-morrow  most  of  us  are 
I7S 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      179 

busy  writing  to-day.  One  of  my  comrades,  sitting 
near,  has  found  an  old  mess-kettle,  and  having  covered 
the  bottom  with  a  newspaper  he's  slowly  filling  up  his 
sheet.  Another,  stretched  at  full  length,  makes  more 
headway  on  his  knapsack.  We're  rather  a  hard-look- 
ing set,  here  in  this  Western  army,  though  I'm  free  to 
say  there  are  no  better  nor  braver  men  fighting  than 
you'll  find  in  our  ranks.  But  in  arms,  training,  every- 
thing but  courage  and  will,  we're  wofully  short.  And 
the  times  out  here  are  even  harder  than  we.  Since 
Lyon's  death  on  the  10th  of  August,  our  State  has  been 
struggling  with  the  storm  ;  and  the  gleams  of  sunshine 
have  been  fitful.  When  the  news  of  defeat  came  at 
that  time,  Fremont  fortified  the  important  military 
points  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  and  then 
issued  that  famous  proclamation  in  which  he  promises 
freedom  to  the  slaves  of  Missouri  rebels.  There  is  a 
great  outcry  against  it,  you  know,  and  perhaps  it  isn't 
the  best  thing  for  this  time.  Many  of  us  in  the  army, 
however,  are  full  of  hope  that  before  the  war  ends,  not 
only  his  plan  of  freeing  the  slaves  in  this  State  may  be 
accomplished,  but  that  every  American  slave  shall  bo 
set  at  liberty.  Fremont  had  two  hundred  black  men 
in  his  army  at  Springfield,  sometime  since,  and  for 
aught  I  know  they  were  just  as  available  for  service  as 
the  same  number  of  whites.  I  can  but  think  our 
General  has  the  interest  of  the  country  at  heart,  for  last 
September,  when  he  was  in  an  emergency,  and  a 
Government  order  demanded  troops  of  him,  he  sent 
them   without  hesitation,  though  his  friend,  Senator 


ISO  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

Colfax,  advised  him  to  send  word  that  they  could  not 
possibly  be  spared.  '  Xo,'  said  Fremont,  M  they  must 
go,'  though  his  own  plans  should  be  defeated  and  him- 
self sacrificed.  In  his  position  at  the  time  that  was 
noble,  for  news  had  just  come  that  Price,  with  twenty- 
five  thousand  men,  was  besieging  our  Colonel  Mulligan, 
whose  little  force  of  twenty-seven  hundred,  short  of 
ammunition,  were  entrenched  on  Masonic  Hill,  over- 
looking Lexington.  Now,  Fremont  was  straining  every 
nerve  to  reinforce  that  brave  leader.  His  army  of 
fifty-six  thousand  was  disposed  for  the  most  part  at 
seven  different  points  in  his  department,  including  St. 
Louis,  where  there  were  but  seven  thousand  men.  The 
Department  covers  a  vast  extent,  as  you  will  see  by 
referring  to  the  map  ;  it  comprises  Illinois,  and  all 
the  country  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  including  New  Mexico.  The  same  day 
that  brought  news  of  Price's  advance  brought  also 
a  pressing  demand  for  more  troops  from  Grant,  com- 
manding at  Cairo,  which  the  rebels  were  threatening, 
and  the  order  from  ^Washington  for  "  five  thousand  well- 
armed  infantry*'  to  be  forwarded  without  delay.  "Well, 
Fremont  did  the  btjst  he  could,  and  though  the  effort 
failed,  I  doubt  whether  any  man  could  do  better. 
He  sent  part  of  the  force  to  "Washington,  and 
ordered  men  from  Jefferson  City,  from  Pope's  com- 
mand, and  other  quarters  to  the  relief  of  Mulligan, 
but  no  force  ever  reached  that  sorely-pressed  com- 
mander. Some  were  beaten  back  on  the  way,  some 
delayed  by  bad  roads — and  Mulligan  was  left  to  his 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      1S1 

fate.  The  siege  lasted  eight  days.  On  the  fifth 
the  enemy  cut  off  all  access  to  the  river ;  and  till  the 
surrender,  our  men  had  no  water  except  what  they 
-caught  in  their  blankets  during  rain,  and  wrung  out  in 
camp-dishes.  On  the  fifth  day  the  enemy  charged 
with  his  entire  force, — twenty-eight  thousand  men  and 
thirteen  pieces  of  artillery  ;  a  mass  of  human  beings 
stretching  "  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,"  'tis  said,  and 
for  three  days  the  shot  poured  incessantly  over  our 
twenty-seven  hundred.  The  rebels  took  our  hospital 
and  made  it  a  vantage-ground  for  firing.  The  chaplain, 
surgeon,  and  a  number  of  wounded  men  were  inside ; 
and  Col.  Mulligan,  who  by  the  way  is  an  Irishman,  de- 
clared that  it  could  not  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
possesssion  of  the  enemy.  Several  companies  tried  to 
recapture  it,  without  success,  till  finally  the  Mont- 
gomery Guard,  Capt.  Gleason  of  the  Irish  brigade,  were 
brought  forward  for  the  task.  With  a  brief  exhorta- 
tation  to  uphold  the  name  they  bore,  the  order  came  to 
charge.  "And  on  they  went,"  says  Mulligan,  "first 
quick,  then  double  quick,  then  on  a  run,  then  faster,  a 
wild  line  of  steel,  and  what  is  better  than  steel,  of 
human  will,  till  the  eight  hundred  yards  were  passed,  the 
slope  gained,  and  the  foe  hurled  down  the  hill.  Capt. 
Gleason  led  his  men  into  the  building  ;  when  he  returned 
there  was  a  shot  through  his  cheek,  another  through  his 
arm,  and  only  fifty  of  the  eighty  men  he  led  forth  came 
back.  But  the  hospital  was  regained."  The  rebels  made 
unsuccessful  assaults  for  three  days  afterward ;  Mulli- 
gan still  holding  out,  though  there  was  no  water,  little  and 


1S2      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

poor  ammunition,  and  murmuring  among  the  men,  "who 
feared  a  pestilence  from  the  numbers  of  dead  horse3 
lying  on  the  hillside.  When  a  demand  for  surrender 
was  sent,  the  colonel  replied,  ';  if  you  want  us  come  and 
take  us."  At  last,  on  the  20th  Sept.,  when  the  "  rebs" 
had  entrenched  themselves  within  ten  rods  of  the  belea- 
guered men,  an  officer  raised  the  white  flag — and  the 
defence  was  ended.  A  lieutenant  relates  that,  shortly 
after,  he  saw  Col.  Mulligan — the  man  who  had  borne  the 
horrors  of  this  seige  without  a  murmur,  crying  like  a 
child,  and  exclaiming  "  death  is  preferable  to  this."  But 
that  defeat  will  remain  forever  honorable.  Price  felt  it  to 
be  such,  for  he  returned  the  Colonel's  sword  saying,  "  I 
should  be  sorry  to  see  so  brave  an  officer  deprived  of  his 
sword.''  He  refused  to  be  paroled,  and  'tis  said  his 
wife  has  gone  to  Lexington  to  share  his  captivity. 
Their  little  child,  left  behind,  is  seen  on  the  streets 
wearing  a  dress  made  of  the  American  flag.  When  an 
adjutant  was  called  upon  to  produce  the  ammunition, 
after  the  surrender,  he  showed  the  empty  cartridge- 
boxes  of  the  men,  and  said,  "  I  believe,  sir.  we  gave  you 
all  the  ammunition  we  had  before  we  stopped  fighting. 
Had  there  been  any  more,  upon  my  word  you  should 
have  had  it.  sir."  We  lost  forty  killed  and  a  hundred 
and  twenty  wounded  in  this  heroic  defence.  The  rebels 
make  small  returns  of  their  loss,  but  we  know  it  was 
greater  than  ours.  Lexington  did  not  remain  unmo- 
lested in  their  keeping  ;  for  scarcely  a  month  afterwards 
it  was  retaken  by  Major  White,  commanding  our 
"'  Prairie  Scouts."  a  man  that  has  vet  to  find  the  obsta- 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       183 

clo  that  he  can't  get  round  or  over.  Immediately  after 
the  unsuccessful  but  glorious  engagement  at  Lexington, 
Fremont  mustered  such  force  as  he  could  command,  in 
all  thirty  thousand  men,  and  gave  chase  to  Price,  who 
was  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  State.  Sigel's 
columns  joined  us,  and  we  all  crossed  the  Osage  on  the 
22d  of  October.  We  were  encouraged  at  the  same 
time  by  hearing  that  "  Old  Swamp  Fox"  was  defeated 
in  south-eastern  Missouri.  Perhaps  you  know  him  by 
his  other  title,  Brig-Gen.  Jeff.  Thompson.  He  escaped 
— that  is  the  only  drawback  to  the  story — but  his  gang 
was  all  broken  up  at  Pilot  Knob,  and  his  occupation's 
gone  in  the  bushwhacking  line. 

Well,  we  went  on,  Major  "White  scouts  keeping  the 
advance.  North  of  Springfield  they  were  joined  by  the 
"  Fremont  Body-Guard, '  whose  leader,  Major  Zagonyi, 
assumed  command  of  the  force.  They  laid  a  plan  to 
capture  Springfield  by  suprise,  and  rode  all  night  to  get 
there.  And  now,  children,  you  may  begin  to  open  your 
eyes  ;  for  a  braver  deed  than  that  "  charge"  of  the 
cavalry  guard  was  never  done,  nor  will  be  were  the  war 
to  last  a  century.  I've  heard  they  don't  believe  the  ac- 
count of  it  yet  in  the  East,  and  I  don't  wonder  ;  but  it's 
true — not  a  word  of  exaggeration  in  it.  I  know  a 
corporal  who  was  there,  an  honest  man,  awl  his  story 
tallies  with  the  official  report.  "When  the  guard  reached 
the  town  there  was  a  large  force  waiting  to  oppose 
them.  Zagonyi  said  to  his  officers,  "  follow  me  and  do 
like  me."  I  send  you  the  following  scrap  containing 
his  few  words  to  the  men.     "  Comrades,  the  hour  of 


1S4  TIIK    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

danger  has  come  ;  your  first  battle  is  before  you.  The 
enemy  is  two  thousand  strong,  and  you  are  three 
hundred.  If  any  of  you  would  turn  back,  you  can  do 
so  now." 

But  not  a  man  moved. 

"  Let  the  watchword  be, '  the  Union  and  Fremont." 
Draw  sabers!  By  the  right  flank — quick  trot — march;*' 
Listening  to  the  story  I  could  almost  hear  the  ringing 
shout  as  their  battalion  dashed  forward,  over  brook,  fence, 
and  lane,  past  the  sharpshooters.  In  one  moment  these 
are  cleared  ;  one  maddening  moment  in  which  seventy 
comrades  are  stretched  dead,  or  writhing  on  the  ground. 
"  Xow  strike,*'  says  the  leader  to  a  body  of  thirty  horse- 
men ;  they  leap  on  the  enemy's  four  hundred  cavalry 
and  it  scatters  in  confused  flight  through  the  corn- 
fields, while  the  sabers  of  our  horsemen  flash  after  them 
as  they  disappear — a  flying  cloud.  Zagonyi  calls  again, 
"  in  open  order — charge."  The  line  lengthens  out  that 
each  man  may  swing  his  sword,  and  they  rush  with 
cheers  into  the  shower  of  bullets  that  rains  from  the 
hill-side.  "  Blow,"'  says  Zagonyi  to  the  bugler.  "  Tirra- 
tirra,  la-la,"  he  plays,  but  the  next  moment  his  sword 
swings  red  above  his  head.  "  Put  that  away  ;  blow 
your  bugle,"  comes  the  order  again  ;  and  again  the  notes 
reply  for  an  instant,  and  the  sword  drips  in  the  air. 
*;  Mind  your  orders.  Blow  till  I  say  stop,"  cries  the 
commander  sharply  ;  but  the  good  sword  has  work  to  do, 
and  between  the  notes  fall  the  strokes  as  it  still  flashes, 
a  red  cresent  in  the  air.    At  last  the  bugle's  mouth  is 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      185 

shot  away,  and  with  an  exultant  shout  the  bugler 
plunges  into  the  fight. 

Afterwards  Zagonyi  arraigned  him  for  disobedience. 
"  You  are  unworthy  to  belong  to  the  guard,  you  would 
not  mind  the  order,"  said  the  commander.  "  But  ze 
mouf  was  shoot  off/' replied  the  man,  who  was  a  French- 
man. "  I  could  not  bugle  viz  mon  bugle,  and  so  I  bugle 
viz  mon  pistol  and  sabre."    He  was  not  discharged. 

The  mere  sight  of  these  horsemen  is  appalling  ;  the 
enemy  tremble,  waver,  and  fly  ;  they  hurry  to  the  corn- 
fields, to  the  woods  ;  they  swarm  over  the  fence,  along 
the  road  back  to  the  village  ;  but  wherever  they  flee,  the 
guard  is  beside  them.  Zagonyi's  voice  calls  to  his 
Kentuckians,  "  Come  on,  I'm  with  you,"  and  they  follow 
the  flashing  of  his  sword.  He  approaches  a  barn  ;  a 
man  steps  from  behind  the  door  and  lowers  his  rifle,  but 
before  he  can  take  aim,  Zagonyi's  quick  saber  falls  on 
his  head,  and  a  jet  of  blood  leaps  into  the  air.  The 
enemy  fly  to  the  village.  Up  and  down  the  streets,  in 
the  public  square,  wherever  a  group  of  rebels  are  seen 
there  follow  the  guard.  It  is  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  and 
no  one  may  escape  the  fray.  At  last  the  Union 
prisoners  are  brought  out  into  the  free  air  to  see  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  wave  over  the  town.  Now,  tell  me, 
with  such  a  defence  as  Mulligan's,  and  such  an  attack  as 
Zagonyi's,  shall  we  not  plant  the  true  flag  finally  in  M  is- 
souri  ?  In  the  day  of  honor  give  her  place  in  the  front 
rank  by  the  side  of  Massachusetts,  New  York,  and 
the  best  of  them.  Even  our  two  reverses,  Wilson's 
Creek,  and  Lexington,   are  notable  for  the  courage 


186  THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

shown  by  our  army.  In  their  moral  effect,  they  are 
like  victories,  for  they  inspire  with  resolution  and 
strength.  Only  fifteen  of  the  "  guard"  horses  were 
ever  brought  back  to  St.  Louis,  and  the  uniforms  of  the 
surviving  men  were  so  bullet-rent  that  they  were  unfit 
for  further  use.  We  hear  no  talk  now  of  Zagonyi*s 
"  pavement  soldiers,*'  of  their  being  tl  showy  on  parade.'' 
— slurs  that  used  to  be  cast  at  them  by  certain  St.  Louis 
citizens.  The  spirit  of  our  "Western  army  has  been 
somewhat  sobered  by  the  loss  of  its  general ;  for  Fre- 
mont is  recalled.  AVe  can  only  guess  at  the  reasons 
for  his  removal,  and  there  is  any  amount  of  grumbling 
over  it,  since  the  soldiers,  if  they  are  ignorant  of  what 
he  has  failed  to  do,  are  proud  of  what  he  has  done  in 
raising  and  equipping  an  army  of  sixty  thousand  men 
within  a  period  of  sixty  days,  and  driving  a  strong 
rebel  army  to  the  very  edge  of  the  State.  But,  as  if  the 
recall  was  not  enough,  what  should  happen  next  but  the 
abandonment  of  Springfield,  by  Fremont's  successor, 
Gen.  Hunter,  and  the  return  of  our  force  here  to  Rolla 
again,  while  Price  and  the  guerillas  are  suffered  to  re- 
take the  region  wrested  from  them  by  our  advance 
and  the  charge  of  the  guard  !  To  say  the  truth,  for 
about  a  week,  what  with  the  two  blows,  I  felt  as  if  the 
rebels  could  scatter  us  like  a  basket  of  chips  if  they 
chose.  I  thought  of  going  East  or  somewhere  else, 
when  my  time  was  up,  to  enlist  where  there  was  more 
chance  of  success,  but  unless  things  get  very  much 
worse,  I've  about  concluded  I'll  stay  and  fight  for  my 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.  *     1S7 

adopted  State.    Hunter  did  not  stay  long  ;  be  was 
superseded  by  Ilalleck  on  the  12th  of  this  month. 

But  what  a  letter  I've  made  out  here  on  the  drum- 
head !  And  not  a  word  about  some  adventures  of  my 
own  that  I  meant  to  speak  of.  You  shall  hear  from  me 
again  however.  Little  Rub-a-dub  has  come  for  his 
drum,  and  can't  wait  as  it  is  nearly  time  for  "  taps." 
The  mail  goes  in  the  morning,  so  I'll  close  up  with 
good-by  to  Maedy  and  the  boys,  and  love  to  every  one 
of  you.  Don't  be  anxious,  dear  mother,  about  me.  I 
keep  sound  and  "  hearty  as  a  trooper,"  and  remain  ever, 
Your  affectionate 

Horace. 


v 


Chapter  XIV. 


HOLIDAYS. 

"Thanksgiving  is  coming,"  shouted  the 
children,  as  they  woke  one  morning  to  find 
a  sprinkling  of  snow  thrown  like  a  lace 
veil  over  the  earth.  But  one  could  guess 
the  day  was  near  without  looking  out  the 
window  ;  for  in  the  kitchen  lay  a  great 
orange  colored  pumpkin,  and  cut,  cut, 
went  the  chopper  through  the  mince-meat 
as  Aunt  Ellen  sang  : 

"  Long  mar  our  land  be  bright, 
With  freedom's  holy  light, 
Protect  us  by  thy  might, 
Great  God,  our  King." 

The  house  was  astir,  the  children  cracked 
nuts,  and  Roger  was  commissioned  to  catch 
the  proudest  turkey  of  the  flock,  in  which 
undertaking  the  boy  outdid  the  bird  in  fuss 
and  noise.  At  last  the  pies  were  baked, 
1S8 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.       189 

the  cranberries  jellied,  and  the  "  gobbler  " 
safely  stowed  away  in  the  oven,  with  Aunt 
Ellen  -at  hand  to  watch  him,  while  the 
others  went  to  offer  thanks  in  the  service 
at  church.  How  the  good  care  of  God  had 
blessed  them  through  this  eventful  year ! 
How  had  He  kept  their  nation  '*  when  the 
blast  of  the  terrible  ones  was  as  a  storm 
against  the  wall  !" 

u  Let  us  praise  him,"  said  Mr.  Goodwin, 
"  for  the  Spirit  lie  has  sent  us,  for  the  up- 
rising of  the  people,  for  the  full  coffers  of 
our  treasury,  for  the  produce  of  our  fields  : 
not  forgetting  to  thank  Him  especially  for 
the  two  hundred  thousand  men  that  fill 
the  disciplined  ranks  of  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  for  the  victories  of  Western  Vir- 
ginia, the  retaking  of  our  forts,  and  lastly, 
perhaps  mostly,  for  the  heroic  examples 
and  useful  lessons  of  Big  Bethel,  Bull  Run, 
Ball's  Bluff,  and  Wilson's  Creek." 

"  Salvation  will  God  appoint  for  walls 
and  bulwarks.  In  Him  is  everlasting 
strength,"  sang  the  village  choir  in  its 
closing  anthem.  ' 


190       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

More  snow  had  fallen  the  day  before, 
and  then  Jack  Frost  had  covered  it  with 
such  a  thick  coat  of  his  patent  polish  that 
even  the  brown  gate-posts  shone  in  the 
sun-light.  The  children  longed  to  try 
their  sleds  in  the  afternoon,  but  had  hardly 
brought  them  out,  when  a  certain  jingling 
up  by  the  barn  caused  a  sudden  scam- 
pering in  that  direction. 

4<  Come,  bundle  in  all  of  you,"  called 
the  father's  cheery  voice.  "  Muff  and  Buff 
are  in  a  hurry,'7  and  what  was  stranger, 
they  hurried  all 'the  way,  steady,  jog-trot 
horses  though  they  were.  The  <rav  voices 
behind  seemed  to  inspire  them  like  the 
music  of  a  quickstep. 

But  after  the  ride  and  supper  were  over, 
Maedy  found  a  little  chair  beside  Aunt 
Ellen,  and  said,  "  We're  tired  of  play, 
Aunt}T,  won't  you  tell  us  a  story ;  you 
won't  say  '  no7  on  Thanksgiving  day,  now, 
will  you?" 

"  But  I  don't  know  what  to  tell  you, 
dear;  I  havn't  any  new  ones.*' 

u  Oh,  make  up  something,"  urged  Roger. 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      191 

"  Have  it  happen  ever  so  far  off,  Aunt 
Ellen.  I  read  a  first  rate  story  awhile  ago 
about  a  man  that  got  on  a  barren  island 
among  savages.7' 

"  Well,"  said  Aunt  Ellen,  musing  a  mo- 
ment, "  I've  thought  of  a  little  thing  ;  per- 
haps I  shall  come  to  an  island  before  I  get 
through.  Once  there  was  a  great  city,  full 
of  people,  and  among  them  were  hun- 
dreds of  rough  men,  such  as  prize  fighters, 
house-breakers,  and  thieves,  who  delight 
to  make  trouble  and  get  up  what  the 
policemen  call  '  regular  rows.'  By-and- 
by,  when  a  war  broke  out  in  another  part 
of  the  land,  one  of  these  rough  men  said  to 
himself,  i  why  not  get  our  fellows  to  turn 
soldiers?  They  kill  each  other  with  a 
good  will ;  since  they  like  fighting,  they 
may  as  well  follow  it  as  a  trade.7  So  he 
got  a  thousand  or  so  of  the  men  together, 
and  was  sent  with  them,  not  to  the  field 
with  other  regiments — you  can  think  why, 
perhaps — but  way  off  to  a  lonesome,  sandy 
island,  named  after  a  Saint ;  Santa  Rosa, 
or  in   English,  Saint   Rose.      There    they 


192      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

pitched  their  tents,  and  strange  to  say, 
lived  entirely  at  peace  with  each  other; 
but  whenever  the  enemy  showed  them- 
selves they  grew  fierce  as  tigers,  and  drove 
them  straight  back  to  their  boats.  Ten 
thousand  men  staid  on  the  mainland  watch- 
ing the  island,  and  by  detaining  them  thus 
the  rowdies  were  not  only  peaceable  among 
themselves,  but  very  useful  to  the  army 
they  served." 

u  Ah,"  said  Franklin,  "  1  know  who  you 
mean,  the  Unionists  and  Secessionists. 
But  where  is  Santa  Rosa  V 

"  OIF  the  western  coast  of  Florida;  and 
these  rough  men,  Wilson's  New  York 
Zouaves,  are  keeping  watch  over  Fort 
Pickens  opposite;  and  a  cleanlier,  more 
orderly  camp  than  that  of  Santa  Rosa  can- 
not be  found  in  the  country." 

"  Tell  us  some  more  about  these  fellows, 
Aunt  Ellen,"  said  Roger. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  now.  That's  the  end  of 
my  story,  a  true  though  not  a  long  one." 

The  family  had  long  been  waiting  for 
the  "  furlough  "  that  Daniel  spoke  of  in  one 


THE   BROTHER    SOLDIERS.  193 

of  his  letters.  In  case  he  could  get  it,  per- 
haps he  would  come  home  suddenly;  and 
every  foot-step  at  the  door  made  a  heart- 
throb within,  at  the  thought  of  whose  step 
it  might  possibly  be.  When  Christmas  eve 
came,  the  children  hung  up  a  stocking  for 
Daniel  with  their  own,  "just  for  fun," 
they  said;  and  it  was  not  to  be  disturbed 
till  he  should  open  it.  For  fear  Santa 
Claus  might  neglect  such  a  big  brother, 
they  dropped  in  some  gifts  that  had  been 
preparing  for  him  ;  but  suddenly  on  Christ- 
mas day  he  made  his  appearance,  somewhat 
worn  by  the  long  journey,  but  hardier  and 
browner  than  he  had  ever  looked  before. 
The  train  had  been  crojvded  and  delayed ; 
by  means,  however,  of  a  (i  forced  march" 
that  morning,  he  had  reached  home  ahead  ot 
the  train.  He  found  that  the  good  Saint,  or 
some  one  else  had  not  forgotten  him ;  for 
behold,  stowed  away  in  the  stocking  was  a 
little  plated  pocket-cup  that  took  up 
scarcely  more  room  than  a  watch,  a  have- 
lock,  a  comfort-bag,  balls  of  pop-corn,  and 
sundry  other  knick-knacks.   What  a  j  ubilee 


194      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIER?. 

was  held  in  the  house  that  day  !  What 
stones  he  had  ever  ready  to  tell,  of  forced 
marches — so  far  sometimes  that  he  had 
dropped  food,  knapsack,  blanket,  every- 
thing at  last  but  the  lightest  clothing  and 
his  musket ;  of  being  glad  to  drink  muddy 
water,  of  spending  two  hard  working  days 
without  food  when  somebody  made  a  mis- 
take and  the  salt  pork  and  hard  tack  failed 
to  arrive,  of  the  diversions  of  the  men  after 
evening  parade,  and  the  jolly  times  around 
the  bivouac  fires.  His  furlough  lasted  into 
the  New  Year,  but  the  time  was  all  too 
short  to  hear  his  adventures. 

"  The  hardest  thing  I've  endured  yet," 
he  said,  as  they  all-sat  together  one  after- 
noon, "  is  the  sight  of  the  wounded.  The 
first  time  I  saw  a  dozen  men  lying  in  a  row 
on  the  ground,  waiting  to  be  taken  to  the 
hospital,  I  felt  weak  as  a  baby,  and  had  to 
turn  my  head  the  other  way.  One  poor 
fellow  lay  there  with  a  severed  artery,  and 
his  comrade  sat  beside  him,  pressing  it  to 
stay  the  flow  of  blood.  If  the  hand  had 
been  withdrawn  a  few  moments,  the  man's 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      195 

life  would  have  ebbed  away.  To  see  brave 
men  look  as  wofully  as  they  did,  suffering 
for  want  of  care,  gasping  for  a  swallow  of 
water,  some  in  the  hospitals  suffering  day 
after  day  for  proper  food  and  medicine, 
makes  one  tremble  more  than  to  witness 
the  fiercest  battles.'7 

"  But  must  they  suffer  so,7'  asked  Aunt 
Ellen.  "  Can't  the  Government  take  care 
of  them  ?  I  never  read  the  list  of  wounded, 
but  I  long  to  do  something  for  them.7' 

"  The  Government  provides  hospital 
wagons,  surgeons,  and  nurses.  But  clothes, 
bedding,  and  food  for  the  sick  are  furnished 
in  very  limited  supplies.  Then  times  come 
when  many  are  brought  in  unexpectedly, 
and  there  isn7t  supply  on  hand  for  half  of 
them.  It7s  a  distressing  state  of  things,  but 
they  say  that  our  Medical  Department  is 
larger  than  that  of  other  countries,  and 
that  it  does  all  in  its  power.7' 

"  Well,  however  that  may  be,"  rejoined 
Aunt  Ellen,  "  it  gives  us  women  at  home 
the  heart-ache  to  know  that  a  single 
American  soldier  suffers  for  want  of  supplies 


19G       THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

and  care.  I've  thought  a  great  deal  about 
our  sick  and  wounded,  and  I  don't  know, 
Daniel,  but  you  may  find  me  among  the 
hospital  nurses  some  day,"  she  added  look- 
in  cr  at  him  with  smiling,  earnest  eves. 

But  these  words  caused  an  outcry,  in 
which  the  children's  voices  were  loudest. 
'•What  did  Aunt  Ellen  mean?"  "She 
must  be  crazy?"  "  That  would  never  do  ;" 
and  so  on. 

"  Perhaps  it  wouldn't,"  she  said,  u  but 
suppose  Horace  or  Daniel  were  lying  sick 
in  the  hospital,  what  would  you  say  to  my 
going  to  see  them  "?  However,  even  if  I 
went,  the  authorities  might  not  want  to  ac- 
cept me."  After  a  pause,  she  added  in  a 
lighter  tone,  u  tell  the  children,  Daniel,  how 
the  ships  sailed,  when  they  took  the  forts  at 
Port  Royal.  I  was  listening  this  morn- 
ing, when  your  father  took  you  off  to  see 
the  new  oxen,  and  the  story  was  left  un- 
finished." 

u  I  only  wish  they  could  have  seen  the 
fleet,"  said  Daniel,  his  face  brightening  at 
the  recollection  of  it,  as  he  rose  and  walked 


THE   BROTHER   SOLDIERS.  197 

the  floor.  "  If  there  are  sad  scenes  in  war, 
there  are  also  some  of  the  grandest,  and 
most  splendid.  I  never  expect  to  see  a 
statelier,  sight  than  those  seventy-five  vessels 
sailing  down  Hampton  Roads,  just  after 
sunrise — the  great  flag-ship,  Wabash,  steam- 
ing ahead.  There  were  sailing-vessels, 
gun-boats,  small  and  large  steamers,  and  the 
steam-frigates.  We  of  the  land  force  num- 
bered ten  thousand  men,  under  Gen.  Thomas 
W.  Sherman,  commander  of  the  expedi- 
tion ;  but  Du  Pont,  you  know,  was  Com- 
modore, and  we  only  looked  on  at  the  time 
of  the  engagement;  it  was  a  purely  naval 
victory.  We  left  the  29th  of  October. 
When  we  were  off  Hatteras  there  came  up 
a  November  gale.  I  never  saw  anything 
like  it.  The  fleet  was  scattered,  four  tran- 
sports were  wrecked,  and  our  own  vessel 
shook  as  if  she  would  go  to  pieces  every 
minute.  On  board  the  '  Governor'  the  men 
stood  forty-eight  hours,  emptying  out  the 
water.  She  went  down  at  last,  though,  and 
some  of  the  crew  with  her.  When  the 
flag-ship  anchored  off  the  South  Carolina 


19S  THE    BROTHER   SOLDIERS. 

coast,  there  were  only  twenty-five  vessels 
to  be  seen,  but  ours  with  the  others  hove  in 
sight  during  the  dav.  After  avast  amount 
of  exploring  and  sounding,  the  channel  was 
found,  and  the  vessels,  including  the  Great 
Wabash  crossed  the  bar  in  safety,  amid  the 
cheers  of  the  fleet.  It  was  a  difficult  task, 
and  when  we  saw  it  accomplished,  I  could 
but  believe  that  God,  who  had  brought  the 
fleet  in  safety  to  that  point,  would  give  us 
a  triumphant  issue  to  the  struggle.  Then 
followed  reconnoissances  by  the  gun-boats, 
and  something  of  a  fight  between  them  and 
Commodore  Tatnall's  fleet,  which  ended  in 
a  thorough  peppering  of  the  rebels,  and 
their  escape  to  the  creeks.  Here's  a  little 
map  that  I  drew  of  the  port  while  our 
transport  lay  at  anchor,"  added  Daniel, 
searching  in  his  wallet,  and  bringing  out  a 
small  square  of  paper,  marked  in  pencil. 
"  There,  the  fleet  went  round  and  round, 
between  those  two  forts,  for  five  hours — 
from  a  little  before  nine  o'clock,  Thursday 
morning,  the  seventh  of  November,  till  half- 
past  two.     Walker  is  the  stronger  fort,  and 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      199 

received  special  attention,  but  the  proces- 
sion of  ships  left  their  fiery  respects  on  both 
sides,  and  a  plenty  of  them  too.  The 
Wabash  led  the  way;  her  guns  fired  a 
thousand  and  sixty  times  in  the  twenty 
minutes  that  was  spent  in  passing  Walker. 
For  a  mile  and  a  half  in  going  by  the  forts 
the  firing  was  continuous,  as  you  can 
imagine,  from  the  fact  that  about  fifty 
missiles  fell  into  each  fort  every  moment. 
The  wonder  is  that  the  rebel  garrison  could 
endure  so  long  ;  for  one  shell  can  easily 
harm  a  score  of  lives,  and  there  for  five 
hours  shot  and  shell  poured  in  on  them 
like  a  shower  of  hail.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  we  saw  a  boat  lowered  from 
the  flag-ship,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce  in 
the  bow,  and  our  own  banner  in  the 
stern ;  we  supposed,  then,  that  the  re- 
bels had  struck  their  colors,  and  sure 
enough,  a  litle  later,  the  true  flag  shone 
like  a  flame  in  the  air,  and  the  bands  crashed 
in  magnificently  with  the  '  Star  Spangled 
Banner.'  The  rebels  had  fled  in  haste,  as 
we  found  upon  landing.     Everything  was 


200      THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS. 

in  confusion  inside  the  fort;  and  the  meadows 
beyond  were  strewn  with  clothes,  arms,  and 
fragments  of  all  kinds.  I  noticed  some 
broken  carriages  ;  and  a  slave  who  gave  him- 
self up  to  us,  said  that  the  rebels  were 
so  sure  of  sinking  our  ships,  that  they  in- 
vited ladies,  who  came  in  these  coaches  to 
see  our  destruction." 

'•  And  instead,"  said  Mr.  Warren,"  they 
had  to  behold  the  American  banner  floating 
once  more  over  the  soil  of  South  Carolina." 

"  Yes/'  said  Daniel,  "  that  banner  is  the 
first  that  has  been  raised  in  the  State  since 
the  one  at  Sumter  fell.  The  Commodore 
sent  it  to  Washington  with  the  message  of 
our  victory.  We  found  a  great  deal  in  the 
forts.  Forty-three  large  cannon,  three 
hundred  muskets,  heaps  of  ammunition  and 
camp  equipage  fell  into  our  hands,  besides 
the  plunder  that  the  men  in  the  first  excite- 
ment seized  for  themselves.  Our  gun-boats 
went  up  to  Beaufort  next  day,  but  found 
not  a  soul  there  to  defend  it.  Only  one  white 
man  was  to  be  seen,  and  he  too  drunk  to 
give  an  account  of  himself.    But  the  negroes 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      201 

were  dancing  and  hallooing,  half-mad  with 
joy  at  sight  of  our  boats ;  they  swarmed 
down  to  the  shore  with  their  bundles  tied 
up  in  handkerchiefs,  and  begged  to  be  taken 
aboard." 

"  Did  you  see  them,"  asked  Frank. 

'•Yes — a  crowd  of  them." 

"  Oh,  brother,"  said  Maedy,  what  did 
they  say  to  you  V 

"  They  gave  us  a  warm  greeting,"  said 
Daniel.  "  We  had  to  stay  and  garrison  the 
forts.  We  didn't  sit  still  there  without 
some  grumbling,  though  soldiers,  like 
school-boys,  have  to  obey  orders.  We 
wanted  to  pursue  the  enemy.  They  are 
getting -alarmed  in  that  region;  for  little 
more  than  a  month  later,  almost  the  whole 
of  Charleston  was  burned ;  that  was 
another  misfortune.  And  now  the  harbors 
of  both  Charleston  and  Savannah  are  ob- 
structed. Naval  men  say  the  sunken  vessels 
won't  thoroughly  close  up  the  passages,  but 
however  that  may  be,  the  flow  of  boastful 
speech  has  been  somewhat  checked  in  that 
part  of  the  Confederacy." 


202  THE  BKOTHEB  B0LDIEE8. 

Afterwards  Franklin  found  the  following 
u  Song  of  the  Negro  Boatmen"  at  Port 
Royal,  by  a  poet  who  has  touched  many  a 
note  for  freedom  : 

"  Oh,  praise  an  'tanks  !  De  Lord  he  come 

To  set  de  people  free  ; 
An'  niassa  think  it  day  ob  doom, 

An'  Ave  ob  jubilee. 
De  Lord,  that  heap  de  Red  Sea  waves, 

He  jus'  as  'trong  as  den  ; 
He  say  de  -word — we  las'  night  slaves, 
To-day  de  Lord's  freemen. 

De  yam  will  grow,  de  cotton  blow, 

Will  hab  de  rice  an'  com  ; 
Oh,  nebber  you  fear,  if  nebbcr  you  hear 
De  driver  blow  his  horn  ! 

"  Ole  massa  on  he  trabbles  gone  ; 

He  leab  de  land  behind  ; 
De  Lord's  breff  blow  him  furder  on, 

Like  corn-shuck  in  de  wind, 
"We  own  dehoe,  we  own  de  plow, 

We  own  de  hands  dat  hold ; 
We  sell  de  pig,  we  sell  de  coat, 

But  nebber  child  be  sold. 

De  yam  will  grow,  etc. 

"  We  pray  de  Lord  ;  he  gib  us  signs 

Dat  seme  day  Ave  be  free  ; 
De  Norf-wind  tell  it  to  de  pines 

De  wild  duck  to  de  sea : 
We  tink  it  Avhen  de  church-bell  ring, 


THE  BROTHER  SOLDIERS.      203 

We  dream  it  in  tic  dream, 
De  rice-bird  mean  it  when  he  sing, 
De  eagle  when  he  scream.         % 
De  yam  will  grow,  etc. 

"  We  know  de  promise  nebberfail, 

An'  nebber  lie  de  word  ; 
So  like  de  'postles  in  de.  jail, 

We  waited  for  de  Lord ; 
An'  now  he  open  every  door 

An'  trow  away  de  key  ; 
He  think  we  lub  Him  as  before, 

We  lub  Him  better  free. 

De  yam  will  grow,  etc. 

•  But  the  holidays  and  the  furlough  came 
to  an  end  before  the  children  were  ready 
for  school  days  again,  or  the  parents  to  say 
good-by  to  their  son.  There  was,  however, 
a  kind  of  hope  and  pride  in  their  hearts, 
that  made  this  parting  brighter  than  the 
first  one.  After  all,  the  change  from  the 
studious  boy  to  the  manly,  honorable  de- 
fender of  the  nation  was  not  one  they  could 
regret,  and  as  for  Daniel,  his  spirit  was  un- 
changed, his  confidence  in  the  success  of 
the  good  cause  sure.  "Who  knows,"  he 
said,  as  he  drew  on  the  blue  coat  and 
donned  the  army  cap,  "  but  we'll  all  come 


204  THE    BROTHER    SOLDIERS. 

marching  up  from  Dixie  before  the  year  is 
out,  with  our  grand  Potomac  Army,  our 
noble  commanders,  and  our  good  President 
at  the  head  of  us  all.  I  believe  that 
our  footholds  are  secured  in  the  rebel 
country,  and  that  the  New  Year  will  be  a 
happy  one  for  the  Union."  A  moment  later 
father  and  son  were  on  their  way  to  the 
depot,  the  children,  meantime,  watching 
Daniel's  figure  as  it  moved  steadily  for- 
ward to  the  soldierly  tramp  of  his  feet. 

But  of  the  conflicts  and  victories  of  1S62, 
and  what  share  the  Warrens  had  in  them, 
we  may  perhaps  learn  hereafter. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wilmer 
929 


L- 


I  H 


JH8BE 
SIB 


